Without a Trace
by OhBuddy66
Summary: Deeks stuns the team by accepting an impromptu offer to work an operation with Gibbs. They finally realize what he means to them. It hits them harder than they ever thought possible. Losing a team member at the hands of the enemy is always a possibility, but they never saw losing one of their own to another team coming.
1. Chapter 1

**Without a Trace**

**Gibbs and his team appear in this story. I own nothing having to do with either show.**

**_Chapter 1_**

"Wanna go down to the beach, Monty?" Deeks asked his faithful friend.

Monty gave an answering yip and circled excitedly around Deeks' legs. It was going to be a glorious Saturday morning in LA and Deeks was going to make the most of it. He was looking forward to some surfing. As he reached for Monty's leash his phone rang.

"Who would be calling us this early on a Saturday, buddy? Certainly not Kensi, huh?" He questioned Monty while he dug his phone out of his bag. His shoulders sank as he read the name on the screen. It was Hetty. "This can't be good, boy. Hang on while I get this – for some reason I see our plans changing."

He sat his bag down hurriedly and swiped his screen before it went to voice-mail. "Go for Deeks." He listened, holding his breath.

"Good morning, Mr. Deeks," Hetty offered.

Deeks realized she was not going to say another word until he replied.

"Good morning, Hetty. To what do I owe this honor so early on a _Saturday _morning?" He emphasized Saturday, wanting to let her know he was not entirely happy to be hearing from her on one of their rare days off.

"I wanted to catch you before you hit the beach. I need you to come to the boatshed immediately. Do you understand, Mr. Deeks?"

"The beach, how did you…you know what, never mind. I don't wanna know. Yes, of course, Hetty. I understand. Is everything okay? Did something happen?" He asked curiously.

"Everything is fine, detective. Now hurry along and get down here." She disconnected the call before he could respond.

"Sorry, buddy. Surf's gonna have to wait. That was my boss and she needs to see me right now, so rain check, okay?" Monty barked, and then as if he understood, he sauntered over to his doggy bed and plopped down.

Deeks threw his shoes on. He walked back to his bedroom, grabbed a shirt out of a drawer and pulled it over his head as he made his way to his front door. He snatched his keys off the coffee table on his way by, looked back at a now sleeping Monty, and sighed as he went out.

He made the drive to the boatshed in record time. 5:45am on a Saturday morning wasn't exactly rush hour by any means. There were barely any other cars on the road. He locked his car and slowly made his way inside. Sitting at the conference table were Hetty, Eric, and Assistant Director Owen Granger. 'Oh, this is so not going to end well.' Deeks thought to himself.

"Detective Deeks, it's so nice of you to join us." Granger actually attempted a smile as he spoke.

Eric looked very nervous. "Hey, Deeks," was all he could manage before looking back to his tablet.

"Hey," Deeks said, almost a question more than a statement.

"Mr. Deeks, thank you for getting here so quickly. Let's cut right to the chase, shall we? There is much to be said and not a lot of time. Eric?" Hetty glanced at him and he nodded in return. Eric made a couple stabs at his tablet and the big screen lit up. A second later the screen focused and there were two more faces staring back at them.

"Henrietta, Granger, nice to see you all this morning. Detective Deeks, Mr. Beale, thank you for coming in so early." Deeks swallowed hard and nodded. He was looking at the screen in disbelief. Director Leon Vance smiled, "Detective, I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting this man yet. Let me introduce you. Deeks, please say hello to Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Deeks struggled to smile, the thought pounding in his brain 'Oh, buddy – this really, really can't be good.'

"Detective, nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Hetty." Gibbs had a slight, almost mischievous smile on his face. Deeks felt like Gibbs was staring right into his soul as his eyes locked onto his own.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Deeks choked out. "I hope all good things, yeah?" He asked jokingly to relieve the tension building in his chest.

"Well, Deeks – if it hadn't been good, we wouldn't be having this conversation so early on a Saturday morning." Gibbs continued to stare at him. Deeks was feeling completely unnerved by this man. What in the world did Director Vance and Special Agent Gibbs want with him, the LAPD liaison to NCIS's OSP?

Over the course of the next hour he was briefed on the operation, had agreed to join up with Gibbs in DC, and was sent packing. He was not allowed to contact Kensi, Callen or Sam before leaving. It was absolutely forbidden that he clue the team in to what he was doing. Deeks didn't like it, not at all. He remembered how he felt that night returning to the mission only to find Kensi had been reassigned without so much as a goodbye. It tore at him that he was now being asked, no – ordered to do the same. He understood, but he didn't like it. He hoped that when – IF, he had to remind himself - if he came back from this op, his team would forgive him. Kensi was his biggest fear. What Hetty was asking him to do was much worse than making her think he had been fired. On the other hand, he was looking forward to the chance to work with somebody that actually acknowledged his operational skills. Gibbs seeking his help was a great honor, one he did not take lightly.

For so long now he has been the butt of his team's jokes. Kensi, he knew, trusted him with her life. But even to this day Kensi had never really accepted that he was on their level – not to the point that she would say it to his face, anyway. She gave him as much grief as the guys. Part of that was his own fault, too, he realized. Always downplaying his abilities, the self deprecating humor – to be honest he had played right into their impressions of him. He had an easier time accepting Sam and Callen's unwillingness to see him for who he really was, although Sam's view had changed greatly after Sidorov.

Hetty, however, had seen through that facade he had always operated under as LAPD's best undercover officer. He wouldn't have been offered a spot on her team as liaison officer if she didn't think he was up to the task. It was that thought that he focused on with an intensity he hadn't felt in quite some time. By the time the team found out on Monday morning, Deeks would be long gone. It was with a bit of sadness he realized something; he was actually okay with that.

Determined to complete this mission, Martin Andrew Deeks walked through the gate at the airport and proceeded to disappear from the face of his team's world.

**_TBC_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Without a Trace**

**_I don't own any of the characters from NCIS or NCIS:LA. _**

**_Chapter 2_**

Deeks watched the landscape slide by, the occasional cloud hiding his view below. The kink forming in his neck finally became too much and he sat back in his seat. He closed his eyes and tried to relax, the realization of where he was going still setting in. Leroy Jethro Gibbs – Deeks had heard all the stories; former Marine sniper, all around badass who had a knack for sneaking up on unsuspecting team members (quite like his own little ninja boss), the headslap, the rules, a guy who went with his gut more often than not – wanted him. So much so that Director Vance had called Hetty at an outrageously early hour on a Saturday morning. Deeks couldn't stifle the grin forming on his face as he thought about Callen. He is going to be so pissed when he finds out his old buddy Gibbs recruited somebody from his team, and it wasn't one of _them_**. **No, Special Agent Gibbs asked specifically for Marty Deeks. As quick as the smile came, it went away just as fast. Kensi…oh, man – what was he thinking? Callen may be pissed, but Kensi? Yeah – she may just kill him when he gets back. It was too late to do anything about it now. With all that has happened over the past year, he needed some space. This was the perfect opportunity for him. Gibbs was a legend and Deeks wasn't about to let the chance to work with him slip by. He focused again on the assignment, preparing himself mentally.

Gibbs' team needed intel on a case they were working. Someone had murdered a Chief Petty Officer and there were suspicions of a security breach. They weren't having any luck; they figured the best way to get it would be to have someone go undercover. Rather than involving local law enforcement, Jethro decided to bring in Deeks if Hetty was willing to let him assist. He had heard enough about Deeks through Hetty and Vance to know he was considered LAPD's best undercover operator for good reason. He wanted to see what the detective could offer. It didn't take much to get Leon to agree to allow Deeks to help if he would.

Gibbs smiled as he watched Deeks work his way through the crowd at the airport. He hadn't been off the plane five minutes and already the ladies were checking him out. One went so far as to 'accidently' run into him and then drop her bag. Deeks, being the gentleman that he is, hurriedly scooped it up and returned it to her. She tried chatting him up. He just smiled and said something Gibbs couldn't make out and continued on his way.

"Already making an impression on the ladies I see, Detective Deeks. Glad you came out. Good flight?" Gibbs asked as he extended his hand.

"Nice to be here, sir – and yeah, the flight was not bad." Deeks shook Gibbs' hand, looking back over his shoulder to the woman who had bumped into him, not sure what more to say.

"Call me Gibbs, or boss – or hell, call me Jethro if you want, just don't call me sir."

"Understood…uh, Gibbs. You can call me Marty. Or Deeks. Deeks is what the team back in LA calls me. Or Shaggy…I don't think they know my first name," Deeks chuckled. "At least Hetty calls me Mr. Deeks. I'm rambling, aren't I?" Deeks blew out a quick breath.

Gibbs nodded and with a smirk said, "Okay then, let's get you settled in, _Marty_," as he turned and started walking away. Deeks grinned and hurried to keep pace with him.

They made small talk on the car ride. Deeks wasn't surprised Gibbs was taking him straight to the office to meet everyone and go over the case. The sooner he got started the better. Gibbs parked the car and they walked in. After getting Deeks an ID they made their way to Gibbs' version of the bullpen.

"DiNozzo, McGee, Bishop!" Gibbs barked. All three team members had been napping at their desks. They stood quickly when they heard Gibbs.

"Hey, boss. Glad to see you made it back so soon," Tony said with obvious sarcasm, rubbing his eyes.

"Uh, sorry boss," McGee stammered.

"What have I said about saying sorry, McGee?" Gibbs shot back at him.

"Oh, right. It's a sign of weakness, boss. Won't happen again."

Marty couldn't help but notice the blonde female agent. She was quite attractive. She hadn't said anything but was now standing at the front of her desk, looking from her boss to Deeks. He made the quick observation that she dressed like him; comfortable top, worn-out jeans and nicely broken in boots. Her male counterparts all wore nice shirts, slacks and dress shoes.

"This is Detective Marty Deeks from Callen's team in LA. He was kind enough to take some time to come help us out on the Mitchell case," Gibbs stated. "Deeks, this is Tony DiNozzo, Tim McGee, and Ellie Bishop."

Deeks shook Tony's hand, "Nice to meet you, Tony. You were a detective at one time, too, yeah?"

Tony smiled, "Absolutely. Baltimore PD. Welcome aboard, Deeks! So tell me, how does an LAPD detective wind up working with the NCIS Office of Special Projects?"

Deeks looked at Tony, "Thanks. Uh…I'm not quite sure to be honest. Luck, maybe? That would be a question for Hetty."

McGee stuck his hand out. "So Marty, what's it like working with Callen and Hetty?"

Deeks chuckled, "It's an adventure, that's for sure! I've learned a lot from both of them - all of them, actually."

Gibbs broke in, "Here is our newest member, Detective Deeks. She's a former analyst for the NSA."

Deeks smiled, "Hi, umm…" He held out his hand, not sure to call her by her first name or last.

"Oh! It's Bishop. Ellie Bishop." She shook his hand, her eyes lingering on his crystal blues perhaps longer than they should have.

"Well, Ellie Bishop, nice to meet you," Deeks said genuinely.

She smiled, "Likewise, Detective Deeks."

"Please, just call me Marty," he offered.

"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Marty." Her hazel eyes still studying him, she leaned back against her desk.

Deeks broke eye contact with her and focused on the room. He began wondering if something was wrong. Did he have something on his face? What about his hair? Nope…styled by pillow. That couldn't be it. Maybe it was his scruff? Gibbs, McGee and DiNozzo were all clean shaven.

Tony sensed Deeks' uneasiness and decided to help him out. "Probie, why don't you run down to the lab and see if Abby's there. She's wanted to meet our guest for quite some time." Bishop nodded and walked away.

Deeks' gaze shot to Tony, "She has? How…uh, how does she even know who I am?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, that's easy. She keeps in contact with Eric. Ever since she worked that case out there, the one where she ended up being abducted. Ooh, yeah," Tony shook his head, grimacing, "that was a close one, huh, boss? Anyway, Eric tells her all about you guys. You weren't part of the team when she was there, but she's heard about you since then, and she has always wanted to meet you," Tony explained.

Gibbs warned Deeks "Abs is very outgoing. Don't let her scare you. She won't bite," he grinned.

"I think you'll get along with her, Marty. She's a great person." McGee added.

Deeks grinned sheepishly, "Well, I hope I don't disappoint…" Before he could finish his sentence Abby came running at them, leaving Bishop behind her.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! You made it back!" Marty watched the brunette throw herself at Jethro and hug him. Gibbs gave her a tender kiss on the forehead.

"Glad to see you, too, Abs." Gibbs turned to Deeks. "Abby, meet-" Abby cut him off.

"Detective Martin Andrew Deeks, LAPD liaison to NCIS's OSP." She grabbed him in a tight hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you! I've heard so many stories about you." She winked at him and said seductively, "I hope they're all true – or I will be _very_ disappointed." She patted his shoulders as she let him go.

Deeks could feel his face turn red, but he gave her his trademark grin and her eyes lit up. "Hey, Abby. It's nice to meet you, too. I don't know what kind of trash Eric's been talking about me - but I can assure you you wouldn't be disappointed," he teased right back, raising one eyebrow.

"Oooh, he's a feisty one Gibbs. I like that. How long do we get to keep him?" Abby smiled, her eyes sparkling. They all got a good laugh out of that.

Deeks and the team continued joking with one another for a short time. Abby said her goodbye and returned to the lab. Moments later a familiar voice called out from upstairs, "Detective Deeks, I see you've met everyone. Thanks for coming to DC on such short notice. Gibbs, bring your team on up here. Let's get Deeks up to speed." Director Vance nodded at them and walked back to his office.

"You heard the man. Let's go." Gibbs motioned with his arm as he started for the stairs. As they followed Gibbs, Deeks realized how welcome they had all made him feel. No comments about his hair, his drawl, nothing – just curiosity and respect. The uptight feeling in his chest was fading quickly.

Just then Tony bumped him on the shoulder, "So Deeks, what's your favorite movie?" Deeks chuckled at that, and as he tried to come up with an answer, he thought to himself how nice it felt to be accepted.

They walked into Vance's office. The director smiled at Deeks, holding out his hand. "Detective, it's good to see you again. Still holding on to that LAPD badge, I see. I'm surprised Henrietta hasn't convinced you to become an agent yet. You ever going to make the switch to NCIS?"

Deeks looked at the director. "Yeah, no...uh, not yet. I'm getting to that point I think. I'm not sure what is keeping me from doing that." It was a lie, Deeks knew in his heart he would be an agent by now if he knew where he really stood with his team in LA.

"When you do decide, it won't be soon enough, Deeks. You're a hell of an operator and NCIS would be lucky to have you officially. What you pulled off in Afghanistan alone was a miracle. They don't even know it was you, do they?" Vance asked.

Deeks shook his head. "Umm, no. Well, I'm sure Hetty knows, and probably Granger. I was just doing my job, Director Vance. No need to make a big deal out of it. Any one of them would have done the same thing."

"Would they, Deeks? How do you know? Don't sell yourself short. Callen's whole team, Assistant Director Granger and others owe you their lives. Let me thank you on their behalf, then. What you did deserves recognition."

With a stunned look on his face, Deeks nodded slowly. He hadn't expected this. It was almost overwhelming. He had all but forgotten about what he did to save the team and get Kensi back. It was water under the bridge. Yet, here was the Director of NCIS addressing the situation months later as if it just happened. Deeks didn't understand the fuss. It's not like he had a plan, it just came together. He was acting on adrenalin and instinct. He went with his gut. It was that realization the similarities between him and Gibbs hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes widened as he struggled with the thought.

"You okay there, Marty?" Gibbs asked.

It took a second for Deeks to respond. He looked at Gibbs, the corners of his mouth turning up into a small grin, "Yeah, I'm good."

**_TBC_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Without a Trace**

**_I own nothing having to do with NCIS or NCIS: Los Angeles_**

**_Chapter 3_**

Hetty sat at her desk sipping tea. She was not looking forward to this morning. She still couldn't quite believe that Detective Deeks had accepted Jethro's request. He had fit in with her team so well, although she had to admit that his revelation about not feeling one hundred percent accepted was surprising. After all, he had nothing to prove to her. She had failed to pick up that her team did not see him in the same light. She had heard the joking, but assumed that's all it was. He had more than proven himself to each one of them several times over. Had this misstep in her own awareness of the team dynamic cost her one of her most promising finds?

With Nell and Eric already waiting up in ops, Hetty became anxious as she heard Sam and Callen bantering in the hall, making their way to the bullpen. She took another sip, knowing that once Ms. Blye showed up, in all likelihood hell would surely break loose. As if on cue, Kensi came into the bullpen. Hetty overheard her ask the guys if they'd seen Deeks. Kensi had tried contacting him over the weekend and again this morning but had yet to hear back from him. Hetty took a deep breath as she stood, took one more pull from her dainty tea cup, and headed upstairs. Had anyone been close enough to her they would have heard her whisper, "Oh, Mr. Deeks, what have we gotten ourselves into?"

Hetty walked into ops where she was greeted by Nell and Eric. They were both on edge - Eric because he knew what was about to happen, and Nell because she knew something was about to happen. She could tell by Eric and Hetty's moods that it was not going to be a good morning, and they hadn't even caught a case yet. With a nod to Eric from Hetty, he understood and made his way to let the team know they were needed in ops.

Eric stood on the balcony watching the three team members for a moment. They hadn't noticed him as they continued their normal ranting. It was still early and the fact that Deeks was not there yet hadn't set off any alarms, other than the earlier comment from Kensi about not hearing back from him.

"Hey, guys," was all Eric could muster. It was enough to stop the three momentarily.

Sam was the first to comment, "What gives, Eric - no whistle? No annoying alarms on our phones - just 'hey guys'?" Sam punctuated his remark with air quotations.

Eric spoke again, "You need to come upstairs."

Kensi was next, "Wait, what about Deeks? We're starting without him? He should be here any minute!"

"Guys, please? Just…just come up here now. Please," Eric pleaded. He turned slowly and walked back toward ops.

Callen looked at both his team members. "Are you guys getting as bad a feeling about this as I am?"

Kensi, who was beginning to feel nervous, still hadn't put two and two together that this might be about Deeks – or maybe she was in denial. The fact that she hadn't heard from him all weekend was not lost on her. Sam looked at Callen, his eyes full of worry. He started for the stairs, the other two following closely behind him.

The team filed into ops and took their places, waiting for whatever was to come. Hetty stepped up front, slowly gazing at each one of them. She glanced at the floor, taking a moment to compose her thoughts. She looked up and began her explanation for the meeting.

"Mr. Deeks' assistance was requested elsewhere. He is in DC working with Special Agent Gibbs' team." Hetty paused, allowing her team time to process what she had just said.

Nell gasped, a hand flew over her mouth. Eric stared at the floor. Hetty watched Kensi's reaction closely – her eyes were big as saucers as she clasped her hands together in front of her face, as if in prayer. She dropped her hands and opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Callen and Sam looked at each other, and then to Kensi before looking back to Hetty, the shocked looks on their faces saying it all.

She held up her hand before anyone could interrupt, "It's a temporary assignment. I received a call very early Saturday morning from Director Vance. It seems as if Special Agent Gibbs' team had run into a dead end with their case. Jethro asked Leon to contact me to see if I'd loan them Mr. Deeks. Assistant Director Granger, Mr. Beale and I met Mr. Deeks at the boatshed. We had a video conference with Director Vance and Jethro. After listening to Jethro's request, he accepted the assignment. Mr. Deeks flew out shortly after the briefing. By the time you all were waking up Saturday morning he was already on the plane to Washington."

Kensi was the first to speak, barely containing the hurt in her voice, "Hetty, why would you let him do that?" She swallowed the lump in her throat, fighting back the tears desperately trying to fall.

"Ms. Blye, as you well know, Mr. Deeks is a grown man and can make his own decisions. Mr. Deeks felt he needed the time away. I was not going to stop him. I was as surprised as you when he agreed to go, however."

Callen jumped in the conversation, "No offense to Deeks, Hetty, but he's not even an agent. What does Gibbs want with him?"

"Ah, Mr. Callen, now we are getting right to the heart of the matter. It is that attitude that has driven Mr. Deeks to entertain other opportunities. You seem to forget that I picked him for this team myself, just as I did each one of you. You all have a certain place on this team, a specific strength. Mr. Deeks has a skill set that none of you possess. He may not be an agent by title, he may not have the same training, but I can assure you he belongs on this team. You three should have known that by now. I take full responsibility for not setting you all straight sooner. He is an asset to any team he chooses to work with. After his actions in Afghanistan other teams have become aware of his abilities and will be actively seeking his services."

Before Hetty could continue, Granger walked in.

Sam asked, "What do you mean 'after his actions in Afghanistan', Hetty? I made him stay behind in that village while we went looking for Kensi. He wasn't even with us until the exchange."

Granger answered for her, "What Hetty means, Agent Hanna, is that while we were getting our asses handed to us up in the mountains trying to track down Agent Blye, Deeks came up with the idea for that exchange and saved all our lives. If it hadn't been for his quick thinking the majority of us standing in this room wouldn't be here right now."

Kensi let out a small sob. She had no idea that it was Deeks that had saved them all. She could tell from the looks on Callen and Sam's faces that they hadn't known, either. It shouldn't surprise any of them, though. It's what Deeks did. It suddenly hit her that her own actions - taking off on her own and letting herself get captured, were the exact reasons that almost cost her and the team their lives. It was more than she could bear. How could she have been so selfish? How many times had Deeks saved her or the guys from severe injury, if not certain death? She couldn't count. How was it that such a strong, selfless man continually gave of himself even when he felt he didn't belong? Why did they continually fail him in return for his bravery and loyalty?

"Hetty, I meant no disrespect towards Deeks, you know that." Callen stated.

"Ms. Blye, Mr. Hanna – I know you two have made strides towards making Mr. Deeks feel like he belongs, but he is unsure of where he stands with you as a team. I honestly believed Jethro didn't stand a chance in getting Mr. Deeks to agree to this assignment. I was sadly mistaken. Whatever loyalty he felt to this team was gone in less than an hour of talking with Leon and Jethro. Mr. Deeks went from being a nervous wreck when he arrived for the briefing to the most determined I've ever seen him. I suggest, Mr. Callen, that if Mr. Deeks returns after this assignment you do your best to make amends, as well."

"Wait - 'if', Hetty? I thought you said this was a temporary assignment?" Callen asked.

"Mr. Callen, being in DC working with Gibbs will no doubt raise some interest in whoever he comes into contact with. I'm sure Mr. Deeks will be exposed to other agencies while he is there. Who knows what new opportunities will arise? He may simply decide not to come back is all I'm saying," Hetty pointed out.

"This is so wrong, G," Sam said in an accusatory tone. "Deeks is a part of this team and every single one of us is guilty of treating him like he is beneath us because he isn't an agent. You know I'm right. It took him being tortured by Sidorov for me to realize what kind of man he was and I've done my best to make it right between us. Kensi, I know you two are close and I know you trust him with your life, but you still don't give him the respect he's earned."

Before Kensi could say anything, Callen shot back at Sam, "Deeks doesn't take anything seriously! Everything is a joke to him and it pisses me off. He's gonna get himself or one of us killed because of it."

Granger broke in, "Agent Callen – granted, Deeks' methods aren't typical. I'm just as guilty of underestimating him as the rest of you, but Deeks is very effective in the field. He plays the goofball so well you don't realize how good he is until much later. That's actually one of his greatest strengths."

"I agree, Owen." Hetty said, nodding her head.

"Who is he partnering with? What do they have him doing?" Kensi asked anxiously.

"Ms. Blye, I don't know the specifics. They are working a case and have hit a dry spell. Jethro asked him to go undercover to see if he could dig up some new leads."

"Undercover? Hetty that is what LAPD does to him! Gibbs is sending him out in an unfamiliar place undercover? Are you kidding me? Why would Deeks agree to do that?" Kensi asked, obviously worried about her partner being alone.

"I understand your concern, Ms. Blye, but Mr. Deeks is known for his undercover work. Jethro will keep tabs on him along with the rest of his team. I have no doubt Mr. Deeks will be just fine."

"We have to get him back. Make him come back, Hetty!" Kensi said frantically. "Can Eric and Nell track him from here?" Kensi was close to losing it and not even trying to hide it at this point. All that kept going through her mind was how close they had come to working out their thing. Fate just seemed to keep throwing obstacles in their way; Sidorov, Afghanistan, Angelo's damn raccoon speech, their own lack of communication with each other. Now it seemed as if he was giving up completely on not only them, but the team as well.

"No, I'm afraid not. We just have to have faith that Jethro will keep him safe. I'm sorry, I can't tell you anything more than that," Hetty explained sympathetically.

Kensi looked at Sam and Callen, her eyes wet with tears but fierce at the same time, "I know I haven't been fair with Deeks, but if he doesn't come back - or God forbid, something happens to him - I will never forgive you two!" She looked at Hetty and Granger before storming out of ops.

Sam's eyes dropped to the floor. He exhaled a long breath and then moved to leave ops as well.

"Sam, where are you going?" Callen asked.

Sam stopped, but didn't say anything just yet. "Sam?" Callen asked again, impatiently this time.

"Save it, G. I'm going to the gym. Alone." Sam continued on out the door and disappeared.

"Hetty, what the hell is going on here?" Granger demanded.

"I'm afraid, Owen, that it just dawned on my team what Mr. Deeks means to them and are feeling guilty of their treatment of him. In all fairness, Mr. Deeks understands he's partly to blame by reinforcing their view of him as a goofball, as you so eloquently pointed out."

Callen looked defeated. "Hetty, I had no idea Deeks felt like we didn't think of him as an equal. I know we ride him harder than each other and joke about him, but I thought he knew what he meant to the team."

"Mr. Callen, I believe Mr. Deeks knows what he means to the team. He doesn't feel as if his team knows. Therein lies the problem," Hetty countered with a displeased look on her face.

"I'll fix this, Hetty. When he comes back we'll sit down and have a talk with Deeks. We'll straighten this out," Callen promised.

"You do that, Mr. Callen. Let's just hope it's not too late." Hetty shook her head sadly and turned away from Callen and Granger. She paused as if she was going to say something else, but then continued on her way.

Eric, Nell, Callen and Granger watched her leave in stunned silence.

**_TBC_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Without a Trace**

_Author's note: Thanks for the reviews. Whether you like the story or not, I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment._

_**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing having to do with NCIS or NCIS:LA, just putting my own spin on my favorite characters.**_

**Chapter 4**

Eric, Nell, Callen and Granger watched her leave in stunned silence. None of them had ever seen Hetty act so…sad? Disappointed? Whatever she was feeling, it was a rare moment when she let her team see her like that. They continued to stand there for a moment. It was Callen who broke the silence.

"Eric, get me Gibbs on the big screen," Callen demanded. Granger turned to look at him.

"What are you up to, Agent Callen?" Granger asked with a concerned look on his face.

"I want to ask Gibbs who the hell he thinks he is that he can just take someone off my team on a whim. Eric, I said get me Gibbs!" Callen stared at Eric as he began fumbling with his headset. Callen was furious with Gibbs. He considered Jethro a good friend. It was one thing to work joint ops with other teams, but to just have him go behind his back and steal one of his own was beyond acceptable.

"You're out of line, Callen. Gibbs did nothing wrong. He asked Hetty for Deeks' assistance. He wasn't forced to go, he was asked if he would be willing to help. Deeks said yes, simple as that. If you want to be angry at somebody, maybe you should go round up Agent Hanna and Agent Blye and take it out on yourselves. Sounds like Deeks isn't exactly feeling the love in your little dysfunctional family."

No sooner than Granger had finished his little rant that Gibbs popped up on screen. Callen was glaring at Granger.

"Assistant Director Granger, Callen." Gibbs smiled. Once he noticed the scowls on both their faces he asked, "Is there a problem?"

Granger spoke up first, "Callen and I were just having a small disagreement here. Isn't that right, Agent Callen?" Callen nodded and then looked to the screen.

"How is Deeks, Jethro?" He asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"He's great, G. Everyone here loves him," he grinned.

"Any leads on the case yet, Agent Gibbs?" Granger asked, not expecting there to be any. Deeks had only been there just over a day.

Gibbs got an even bigger grin on his face as he nodded, "Our suspect is in interrogation with DiNozzo confessing right now. Looks like an open and shut case. No security breach. Unfortunately for Chief Petty Officer Mitchell, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Callen couldn't believe it. "What did you need Deeks for if you've already solved it?"

"Oh, _we_ didn't solve it. Detective Deeks did. It only took him a few hours poking around the local bars Saturday night to locate him. He found out where he worked. The guy even offered to get him a job." Gibbs chuckled, "We met him this morning before he punched in."

"Lucky break, Gibbs. Glad you got your man," Callen commented.

Gibbs shook his head, "Luck had nothing to do with it. I listened to him on comms - it was a thing of beauty. Once Marty started reeling him in the guy didn't have a chance."

"I'm glad he was able to help, Gibbs," Granger said with a bit of a smile.

"Great! I'll tell the team Deeks is done already and on his way back. That should make everyone happy again," Callen said, looking relieved.

"Wait a minute, Callen," Jethro warned, "Marty isn't on his way back just yet. Since we wrapped this case so quickly he asked if he could stay on a little longer. Leon thought it was a good idea. My newest agent, Ellie Bishop – she's green. She could learn a lot working with Detective Deeks for a few days. Vance was going to call Hetty this morning to update her," Gibbs explained.

Callen looked at Granger, his eyes filled with anger again. He glared back at Gibbs, "Nice talkin' to ya, Gibbs. Enjoy working with Deeks." With that, Callen spun and walked out. Jethro looked at Granger, a confused look on his face.

"Let me explain, Agent Gibbs. Callen and his team didn't take it very well that Deeks flew out to help you. It seems Deeks doesn't feel like he has been accepted fully as part of the team here even after all he's done for them. It was a wake-up call for them that he felt that way. Don't take it personally."

"Let me guess," Gibbs tipped his head in the direction Callen left, "G has a problem with Marty's personality?"

Granger nodded in agreement and added, "That and Agent Hanna had a hard time accepting him because he wasn't military. That changed last year after what Deeks went through for Hanna and his wife on the Sidorov case."

"We heard about that out here," Gibbs said. "Takes a hell of a man to come back from something like that."

"Then there's Deeks and his partner, Agent Blye. They are as strong as Hanna and Callen when it comes to the job, but Blye can be stone cold. Deeks takes it in stride, but it's wearing on him. Then Henrietta rips the rug out from under them both by shipping her off to Afghanistan with me to deal with the White Ghost, which turned out to be Blye's ex-fiance. I'm sure that is going to come back to haunt Henrietta." Granger stopped talking, having realized he was saying more than he should. He knew he could trust Gibbs to keep it between them, though. He shot Eric and Nell a warning glare. They both went back to what they were doing, well aware of Granger's intent.

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders, "So where does that leave Detective Deeks? Did he come out here to prove a point to his team? It looks like it's working, if that's the case."

"I think he just needed to clear his head more than anything. Henrietta hopes he returns to the team. Obviously, everyone here hopes he comes back, too," Granger pointed out.

"To be honest, I'd love to keep him here. We could always use his kind of help," Gibbs stated. "Leon is already on him about becoming an agent. After hearing what you told me I understand him hesitating, though. He wouldn't have that problem here. He fits right in."

Granger nodded. "The argument you'll get from this end is that he fits right in here, too, although they have a funny way of showing him. I'll discuss it with Henrietta. Of course, it ultimately is up to Deeks what he wants to do."

"Of course it is," Gibbs agreed. "Have a good day." Gibbs made the cutting motion at his neck to someone off screen and it went black.

Granger looked to Eric and Nell, "You didn't hear anything." His face was stern.

Nell and Eric turned to each other and back to Granger, "Understood." They said in unison. Granger stared them down, nodded, then turned around and walked out.

As soon as the door to ops slid shut Nell looked at Eric, her eyes wide. "Holy crap, Beale! Do you think Deeks will leave us?"

"Nell, do you really think Marty would leave Kensi for a job in DC? I mean, I know they aren't officially together, but they kinda are. Aren't they?" He looked confused.

"True and he wouldn't leave the beach, would he? Deeks would hate the cold weather!" Nell reasoned.

Eric started to relax, "Yeah, he wouldn't give up surfing. Nah, he'll come back."

Nell looked at Eric mischievously, "Soooo…about what Kensi asked. You think we can track him if we tried?"

Eric glanced around ops as he stretched his arms over his head, interlocking his fingers and cracking his knuckles. He nudged his glasses up, smiled at Nell, and started typing furiously on his keyboard. Nell turned to her own keyboard, a smirk growing on her face as she, too, went to work.

Granger stood on the balcony overlooking the mission, his hands in his pockets. Hetty was at her desk on the phone, probably with Vance. Callen was at his desk, also. He had his laptop open but didn't appear to be doing anything. Sam and Kensi were nowhere to be seen. Granger lowered his head and then walked over to the stairs. Before he descended he stopped to think about the future of OSP. He knew Hetty was going to have to answer for her actions concerning White Ghost, it was just a matter of time. Granger sighed as he made his way downstairs.

Callen had remained at his desk since leaving ops. He sat there in deep thought, trying to calm his anger at his good friend, Jethro. Granger had a point, he didn't steal Deeks. He was asked and went of his own accord. Callen knew they all had to have a serious talk when Deeks came back. He was just about to go looking for Sam and Kensi when Sam walked in and sat at his desk.

"We need to talk, G. I sent Kensi a text and told her to meet us here," Sam stated flatly.

Before Callen could reply they heard footsteps approaching. It was Kensi, her eyes clearly red from crying. She sat in her chair and looked at both of them, waiting for somebody to talk. They all sat and stared at each other, not knowing what to say. It was a very awkward moment between them. Finally, because he felt it was his duty as team leader, Callen spoke.

"I talked to Jethro." It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Immediately Kensi perked up, hoping for any news on her missing partner. "What did he say? Is Deeks okay?"

"It sounds like he is more than okay. Apparently just a few hours after meeting Gibbs and his team on Saturday he hit the streets, stopping in bars and asking around. Deeks found their guy, tailed him yesterday, and they took him in for questioning this morning. He confessed. Case closed," Callen said dryly.

"You're joking, right?" Sam asked incredulously.

Kensi gave Sam a not so friendly glare. He held up his hands in surrender.

Callen shook his head, "No joke. As Gibbs put it, it was a thing of beauty - the guy didn't have a chance once Deeks started working him."

Kensi couldn't help but smile. After working with Deeks the last few years, knowing how he could get through to people, it didn't surprise her at all that her partner was able to locate the suspect so quickly.

"So he's on his way back? He'll be here later this afternoon?" She asked optimistically.

"That's what I asked, too, Kensi - but Jethro said Deeks asked to stay since they closed the case so fast. He didn't want to come right back. Vance cleared it with Hetty this morning after our briefing. Gibbs told me he has a new agent that would benefit from working with Deeks. Vance agreed." Callen explained.

"Deeks gets a week off to play NCIS trainer for Gibbs' new agent when he is not even an agent himself? Seriously, is the new guy that incompetent?" Sam questioned.

Callen smiled at that, looking right at Kensi before turning back to Sam, "Gibbs said Vance is on Deeks to make the switch to NCIS – and who said the new agent was a guy, Sam?" Kensi felt her stomach tighten up at Callen's comment.

"How do you know the new agent is a woman?" She demanded.

"Because Jethro referred to her as a "she" and her name is Ellie Bishop." Again Callen smiled. He knew Kensi was jealous of any woman that interacted with Deeks, but he couldn't help rubbing it in when he had the chance. Sam was trying to hold back his smile. If Callen wasn't careful Kensi might just kick his ass right here in the bullpen. They were already skating on thin ice with her. He wanted to spare himself that same fate.

Kensi threw her laptop open and started keying in a search. It didn't take long for a picture of a very blonde, very beautiful agent named Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop to come up. She let the breath she was holding out in a loud huff, slammed her laptop shut and stalked up to ops.

**_TBC_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Without a Trace**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with NCIS or NCIS:LA. Niko is a character I made up - any similarities to a real person are unintended and purely coincidental._**

**Chapter 5**

Marty looked on as McGee, DiNozzo and Bishop worked at their desks. All of them were typing away on their keyboards - doing what, he didn't know. Checking email, running searches? McGee's face was serious, his fingers flying over the keys, an occasional nod at something. DiNozzo had a slight grin on his face. Deeks decided Tony was definitely not doing anything work related at the moment. Then there was Bishop, or Ellie? He still didn't know how to address her. He had figured out that her obvious interest in him when they were introduced was nothing more than her trying to get a read on him. She had been an analyst, after all. The fact that she was married was irrelevant to Deeks. Although he thought Bishop to be easy on the eyes, he had no interest in her other than as a colleague. He looked at her, her face in somewhat of a frown as she munched on what may or may not have been a carrot stick. He was just about to comment about his own partner's eating habits when Gibbs walked up.

"Hetty knows you're staying with us a few days." Gibbs stated.

Deeks nodded, "Is that all?"

Gibbs looked him in the eye, "Should there be something else?"

"Tony said you had a conference call. I thought you might've talked to the team back in LA," Deeks prodded.

"I spoke with Granger and Callen briefly," he offered.

Now Deeks was really curious, "Did, uh…did he, did Callen seem upset?"

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders, "He told me to enjoy working with you." He raised an eyebrow and then nodded, turning to take a seat at his desk.

Deeks didn't know what to say. He thought Gibbs was being very guarded, but he didn't want to keep asking questions so he let it go.

"Boss?" McGee started.

"What do you have, Tim?" Gibbs looked at McGee, waiting.

McGee explained the tip he was checking out. "The other case that came up last week, the dead marine - a witness described a dark colored van leaving the scene. They gave us a partial plate number. We got several hits. I've checked into all of them and they all check out except this one. It registers back to a Niko Pellicci."

Deeks cut Tim off before he could continue, "Niko Pellicci? You've got to be kidding me," he said in a surprised voice.

McGee looked at Deeks, a shocked look on his face, "Marty? You know this guy?"

"If it's the same guy, Pellicci had ties to a cartel in LA I helped bring down years ago before I started working with NCIS. I had been under for months gathering intel. It was a huge bust for LAPD. Unfortunately, this guy was able to get away and he disappeared." McGee brought the guy's picture up on screen. "That's him." Deeks acknowledged.

Tony turned to Deeks, "Does this guy know you? I mean, does he know you're a cop?"

Deeks shook his head slowly. "He knew me. I was entrusted with passing info back and forth between him and the guys we took down. He didn't know I was a cop." Marty continued explaining how he had worked his way into Niko's circle before. He shuddered at the memory. It was one of those covers that made you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. It was for the greater good - that's how you justified your actions, he thought.

Gibbs decided to take a different approach since Deeks had history with the guy.

"You have a plan, Detective Deeks?" Gibbs asked.

Deeks looked at him, his eyes wide, "A…a plan? You want me to come up with a plan?"

Gibbs smirked, "I didn't ask you to come all this way to tell you how to do your job. How do you want to play this?"

McGee and DiNozzo looked on, stunned. Bishop stared back and forth between Deeks and Gibbs, who were looking at each other. It was obvious to her that both men had a lot of respect for each other. She counted herself lucky to be able to work with both, especially at the same time and on the same case. Between Gibbs' dogged determination to find the truth, no matter where it led - and Deeks' uncanny ability to get close to people and gain their trust, the bad guys didn't stand a chance.

Deeks stood there a few moments. He let out a long, slow breath and finally spoke, "You want him for the murder you…uh, we're investigating – or should I dig and see if there's something bigger going on we're unaware of?"

Gibbs smiled, "I don't like half-assing anything, detective."

Deeks nodded, a slight grin appearing before he got a serious look on his face, "Okay then. I'll make contact with Niko."

Gibbs shook his head. Deeks emptied his pockets. He would have to leave his LAPD, NCIS and any other personal ID behind. The only thing he kept was a small wad of cash. He even dropped his cell on the desk. It was then that Abby had come to see Gibbs. Before she could say anything, she noticed everyone watching Deeks as he placed his personal belongings on Gibbs' desk. Vance stood up on the balcony watching the group silently. Leon was impressed with how easily Deeks took charge of the situation. All the years of undercover experience clearly showed in his actions.

Deeks spoke to Gibbs and the team, "Drop me off somewhere near his house. I'll keep an eye out for Niko. I'll follow him and make up some excuse to bump into him somewhere. If we're lucky, maybe he'll offer me some work. Otherwise, I'll play it cool – shoot the breeze with him – see if he'll offer up anything having to do with our case we can use. I'll check in when I can."

Bishop looked at Deeks, worry on her face. "You're just going to approach him like an old friend? What if he doesn't remember you? Or what if he found out you were a cop and just kills you?"

Deeks shrugged. "It's the chance I take every time I go under. It's what I do," Marty commented as he looked her in the eyes.

"Where will you stay?" She asked next.

"I don't know. The street…a cheap motel. I'll figure it out."

Gibbs gave a nod to Marty, a signal to get the show on the road. Deeks nodded back.

"Martin Andrew Deeks, you be careful out there – you hear me?" Abby demanded as she pulled him into one of her famous hugs.

"I will, Abby." Deeks said solemnly.

"Let's go, detective," Gibbs motioned.

"Uh…Gibbs?" Marty questioned.

"What is it, detective?"

"I'd like it if Ellie could drive me. I…uh, there's…" Deeks stumbled over his words. "In case I don't… Umm, I need to leave a message for somebody, Gibbs. I'm not…"

Gibbs nodded in understanding, tossing the keys to her. "Bishop, go."

Deeks shook hands with Gibbs, McGee and DiNozzo. Bishop nodded to Gibbs and then headed for the elevator, Deeks following.

"Good luck, Marty!" McGee called after them.

DiNozzo watched as Deeks and Bishop stepped into the elevator. When the door slid shut Tony looked at Gibbs. "You think he'll be okay out there, boss?"

"You tell me, DiNozzo." Gibbs looked at Tony for a moment before he turned and headed up to Vance's office.

Tony stood there, a quick glance to McGee and Abby. "Got it, boss."

Ellie drove the first couple miles in silence. Deeks kept glancing at her, waiting for her to ask more questions. When she didn't, he asked one of his own. "How do you do it?"

She looked at him quickly before turning back to watch the road, "How do I do what?"

"Do this job - while being married. What's it like? Is your husband in law enforcement of any kind?"

"Oh, um…no. He isn't. I don't know, I hadn't given it much thought on the 'how' part. We make it work," she replied.

"How does he handle knowing you put your life on the line every day?"

She didn't answer right away. Did she really know how he felt about it? Maybe, but she didn't tell others her business. She didn't like talking about her personal life. There were so many things her team didn't even know about her yet. She didn't know if they ever would. She looked at Deeks again. She started to answer but then stopped herself. He realized it was something she did not want to talk about so he offered her some of his own personal feelings.

"My partner back in LA, her name is Kensi Blye – or Kensalina – or just Kens. Sometimes Fern. That's her favorite." He smiled at the thought of her. "I also call her Princess, Sugarbear, light of my life, Badass Blye – oh, and most importantly, Wonder Woman, because that is who she is."

Ellie caught the look in his eyes as he talked about his partner. There was no mistaking the level of admiration and pride he spoke with.

"You sound really close to her. Are you more than just partners?" Ellie asked curiously.

He let out a genuine laugh. "Well, that's the question of the year right there, Ellie Bishop. Are we more than partners? I thought we were, but we both suck at communication. I kissed her one day when she told me I never say what I mean. Later that day I was abducted and tortured. It was months before I went back to work. I finally asked her out, sort of. That night, I said exactly what I meant. It was the best night of my life. The next day was awkward at work. We were working through it. I had gone to the hospital with someone who helped us that day. When I got back to the bullpen, Kens had been reassigned indefinitely. We didn't even get to say goodbye to each other." Deeks looked at her before continuing, "The team, we ended up rescuing her when she was captured and tortured. Once she came back to work as my partner…" He paused. "There's just so much she and I need to talk about. Our roles have reversed somewhat."

"What do you mean, Marty?" Ellie could tell Deeks had a lot on his mind.

"When we first met, it was me that did all the pushing to get close. It took me years to break down her walls. When I realized she was so much more than just a partner to me, I pushed hard. There were days I think she would rather have shot me herself than have me around," he chuckled. "Once I finally got her to admit we had a thing, that she had feelings for me, too, well – it scared her. She held back. Then we shared that one night, and the next she was gone. Once we got her back, it was me that held back and now she is pushing. I'm just so confused," he admitted. "I feel like if we pursue a relationship something bad will happen to one of us. Before, I didn't care – well, that sounds bad. I did – I do care – I just wanted to be happy in the moment and enjoy being together come what may. But I'm scared now that if we take that step, it will get ruined. I can't lose her, Ellie. I just can't. She is my world." He looked out the side window. She couldn't help but think he might be hiding tears.

"Does she know how you feel? Does she love you? Do you love her?" She asked in rapid succession.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Like I said, we suck at communicating when it comes to our feelings – especially for each other."

They were getting close to where she would have to let him out of the car. Deeks blew out a breath.

"If something happens to me, will you tell her something for me, please?"

She nodded as she pulled up to the curb around the corner from the neighborhood Niko lived in. "What do you want me to say, Marty?"

He took a deep breath, "Tell her I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise. She will know what you mean. Tell her that I love her. I do love her, more than anything. Tell her that I wanted nothing more than for us to be together and that I was stupid for holding back at the end. I never should have done that." He looked down at the floorboard. He combed his hand through his hair nervously. He looked up at Ellie and it suddenly struck her to do something quickly. She pulled her phone out. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Don't move. I want to take your picture." She got her phone in camera mode and held it up. It was perfect. The emotion Deeks felt for his partner still showed on his face as he sat there. His eyes were a bright blue, lit up with love - but also a sadness. He wasn't smiling, but he looked at peace. She snapped the photo, smiling at it when she brought it up to check it. She nodded at him, "I will tell Kensi what you said, Marty. I promise. But I won't have to. You can tell her yourself."

He smiled slightly then and shook his head in agreement. Deeks took another deep breath and leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes. He sat there for several minutes. Ellie glanced in the rearview mirror and then out her window, checking their surroundings. She turned to Deeks and watched him closely. He was clearly in deep thought. He must have felt her stare, he turned his head and their eyes met. Bishop swallowed nervously as she watched Deeks' mood change. She had to look away - the person she had been sitting next to obviously was no longer there. Deeks was no longer the carefree, surfer detective who was in love with his partner. The look in his eyes belonged to someone much more sinister. She decided he couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Almost as if reading her mind, he swung the car door open. He nodded at her before getting out and walking away. She sat there until he disappeared around the corner before driving back to the office.

While Bishop was driving Deeks to his destination, Gibbs had gone upstairs. Director Vance called LA from MTAC. Hetty had Eric call the team into ops. When they had all gathered, Eric brought Gibbs and Vance up on the big screen.

Hetty spoke first, "Leon, Jethro – what can we do for you?"

Director Vance looked at each member of Hetty's team before asking, "What can you tell us about Max Gentry?"

**_TBC_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer****: I don't own NCIS or NCIS:LA, just having fun with my favorite characters.**

**Chapter 6**

The LA team stood and listened as Hetty greeted Director Vance and Special Agent Gibbs. Vance looked at all of them before speaking. What he asked took them all by surprise.

"What can you tell us about Max Gentry?"

Hetty glanced around to her agents before turning back to Vance. "Max Gentry is an alias Mr. Deeks brought with him from LAPD," she started.

"Deeks hates that alias, Director Vance. Even using it for a short op, he has a hard time recovering from it," Kensi chimed in, her voice full of worry.

Sam and Callen said nothing, but were listening intently.

"Why do you ask, Leon?" Hetty asked, not looking forward to the answer.

"As you know, we closed the case earlier today that Detective Deeks was brought in for. McGee was going through some leads on another case and the name of a possible suspect came up. Deeks recognized the name as someone he may have had contact with on an undercover op some time before he became your liaison. This man had evaded arrest and disappeared when Deeks and LAPD took a cartel he had ties with down. Deeks confirmed that this was the same man he dealt with back then when he was shown a photo of him," Vance explained.

Callen wanted to know who the guy was. "Give us a name. Who is it?"

"Niko Pellicci," Gibbs stated.

Callen thought for a moment before shaking his head, "Doesn't ring a bell with me. Guys?" He looked at Sam and Kensi. They both shook their heads no. "Eric, Nell, pull up anything you can find on this guy." Callen ordered.

"Gentlemen, as Ms. Blye suggested, Mr. Deeks is not fond of Max Gentry. I advise you to keep a close eye on him. Do not let him lose himself, Jethro. Mr. Deeks is used to working undercover for LAPD with no back up. Do not let him get so deep that he forgets he has help should he need it." Hetty warned.

"Can we see Deeks before he leaves, Jethro?" Callen asked. Kensi and Sam both looked hopeful that they would bring Deeks on screen.

"That's not possible, Agent Callen," Director Vance answered instead. "Detective Deeks had Bishop take him to Pellicci's neighborhood and drop him off already. She should be returning any minute."

At the mention of Bishop, Kensi instantly went into jealous mode. The fact that the director said Deeks had her drive him struck a nerve. What pissed her off even more, though, was that he said she would be back any minute. That meant Deeks was on his own with no back up, just as Hetty had warned not to let happen.

"You just let her drop him off?" Kensi asked tensely.

Gibbs tipped his head in Kensi's direction in acknowledgement of her concern. "Agent DiNozzo has undercover experience, as well. He will be shadowing Marty, Agent Blye."

Director Vance looked around at them all again. "So all you can tell us about this alias is that Deeks doesn't like it?"

Kensi looked to her team mates, not sure she should say anything. Finally she spoke, "Director Vance, this really is Deeks' story to tell, but I'll tell you this much – Max Gentry is based on Deeks' father. The man beat Deeks and his mother when he was a kid. The man was a monster."

Leon and Jethro both looked surprised and a bit worried to hear this. Leon looked at Jethro before turning around and leaving.

Hetty added, "Mr. Deeks shot his father when he was eleven. It was self defense. His father spent many years in jail afterwards."

"We'll keep him covered, Hetty," Gibbs assured them.

Everyone felt that the conference was about to end. Just then Gibbs looked off screen. Someone had entered the room off camera. He motioned for them to come to him. Kensi paid special attention when Ellie Bishop came into view. She whispered something in Gibbs' ear. He nodded his approval and Bishop turned to the LA team.

"Hi. I'm Ellie Bishop." Everyone exchanged pleasantries with her except Kensi, who hadn't said anything yet.

Ellie looked to Kensi. "Agent Blye? Hi. Can I have your number, please?"

Kensi stared at Bishop, wondering what this woman could possibly want her number for. Ellie was holding her phone in her left hand. She held it up, as if showing it to Kensi would make her answer quicker. Kensi focused on her hand. Was that a ring on her finger?

"You're married?" Kensi asked. Ellie looked at her left hand and then back to Kensi.

"Yes, I am. Why?" Bishop was confused at first, but suddenly it dawned on her – Marty Deeks' partner was insanely jealous. The fact that Agent Blye noticed she was married immediately and keyed on that before addressing the question a dead giveaway.

"Never mind, sorry!" Kensi said apologetically, "You asked for my number?"

Ellie smiled, "Yes, if you don't mind. I'd like to send you something."

Kensi gave Ellie her number. Moments later Kensi's phone vibrated with a message. She swiped her screen. A picture message - it was of Deeks. The text short and simple - _He just told me about you_ \- She clicked it to make it full screen. She could feel the tears building again. Deeks was sitting in the passenger seat of a car. He was leaning forward slightly and his head was turned to face the camera. The sun coming in the window lit his face up, his eyes a beautiful shade of blue. Kensi could feel the love in his look. There was something else there, too, but she couldn't quite place it. Deeks wasn't smiling, but she could tell that he had just been talking about her. She had only ever seen that look when it was just the two of them together.

She managed a smile, "Thank you, so much," she said quietly.

Bishop smiled back, her own eyes a bit misty at Kensi's reaction. "You're welcome."

Gibbs, satisfied that Bishop had accomplished what she had set out to do, spoke to everyone. "We'll be in touch." With that, the screen went black.

Callen looked to Eric and Nell. "You guys come up with anything yet?" They both shook their heads no simultaneously. "Keep at it. Let me know when you find something."

"So Kens, Deeks' alias – Max, it really is personal to him, isn't it?" Callen questioned.

She shook her head, "Yeah, Callen, it really is. He hates it. But it's so easy for him to fall into being a bad guy when the job calls for it. You guys saw a little of it when he was with Nicole at the boatshed. I saw and heard it first hand when I went looking for Ray with him that day. Max is not a very nice person. It really shocked me to see him that way."

"Why didn't we know Deeks was abused as a kid?" Sam wondered aloud. "Did you know, Hetty?"

Hetty admitted she had known. Sam seemed very bothered. Kensi thought maybe he was feeling some guilt again for questioning Deeks' character that day Sidorov tortured them both – and for all the other times Sam never cut Deeks a break. Kensi knew Deeks wouldn't want Sam, or anyone for that matter, to feel sorry for him or treat him any differently because of what he went through as a child. That was one of the biggest reasons Deeks didn't share that part of his past with them. Kensi realized just then how much Deeks had opened up to her. Deeks knew far more about her than any of the others did, but she still hadn't let Deeks in as far as he had let her. Truth be told, though, he knew more about her than she would admit to him. He was very perceptive. Just then something he had said to her once popped into her head – I'm a detective, that's what I do, detect. She smiled at the memory.

"Something you wanna share with us there, Kensi?" Callen asked with a smirk on his face.

"Nope," she shook her head.

Sam looked at Kensi, "So you knew about Deeks' childhood? Why didn't you ever say anything to us?"

Kensi shrugged. "Like I said, it's not my story to tell, Sam. I'm sure there are things you and Callen know about each other that you don't share with anyone else, just as Deeks knows things about me that you guys don't. It's a partner thing. You know that. Besides, I don't know all the details about Deeks' ordeal. He has only shared small parts of it with me."

"Yeah, but that's-" Sam started, but Kensi cut him off.

"Look, Sam, I know what you are getting at - and I can tell you that it's crap. You shouldn't have questioned his character, period. He proved himself to us so many times. I know I am hard on him, too – but it didn't take long for me to realize how good a man he is. Yes, he can be annoying, the jokes get old, whatever. I know. But that is how he deals with things. I know that, and yet I still pile on with you guys when you're riding him. I won't do that to him again. Deeks…he's…he's my partner." She looked at them for a moment. "He's my best friend. He's…" she looked down at the floor, "he's everything to me," she whispered.

"Kens, we're sorry. We will make this right. We know we're better with Deeks. I understand why he is how he is. I just have a hard time looking at things like he does and it frustrates me." Callen explained.

Hetty listened to her agents discuss their feelings for Mr. Deeks. She knew they could work things out. As she turned to leave ops Hetty patted Kensi on the shoulder. "He will come home, Ms. Blye."

"Uh, guys? You need to see this," Eric said nervously. Hetty returned as Eric pulled some info up on the screen. Niko Pellicci's picture appeared along with some other files.

"What are we looking at, Eric?" Callen questioned.

"Well, there's not much, really. But after digging through a bunch of useless info Nell found this." He enlarged an article out of a newspaper. It was a wedding announcement. Niko Pellicci had gotten married years ago to a woman from Los Angeles. Her maiden name was Scarli.

"Scarli?" Callen asked, surprised.

Kensi felt like throwing up. As soon as she read the name she started connecting the dots. "Oh my God, Eric, please tell me that's not who I think it is."

"I'm afraid so, Kens. Niko Pellicci is married to Frank Scarli's sister."

Sam looked at Callen, shaking his head in disbelief. "You don't think Scarli had a hand in Niko's disappearance, do you?"

Callen looked at him, "I don't know. It makes sense. Scarli was dirty, we know that. We helped Deeks bust him shortly after he became our liaison. It's not too much of a stretch to think he helped Pellicci get away before LAPD made the bust. He would've known when it was going down."

"Okay, so what are the chances Niko knew Deeks was a cop – and if he did, why did he not take Deeks out when he was under as Gentry?" Sam asked curiously.

Callen shook his head, thinking. "I'm not sure. Timing? Maybe Scarli hadn't given Deeks up?"

"We can't risk Mr. Deeks' safety," Hetty stated. "Mr. Beale, put us back in touch with Director Vance and Jethro immediately," she demanded. Eric nodded and went to work.

Moments later Director Vance reappeared on the big screen. "Have you found something, Henrietta?"

"It appears that Niko is married to the sister of a dirty cop that worked with Mr. Deeks. It was Frank Scarli, Director. The man NCIS arrested with Deeks' help soon after he came to work with us," Hetty clarified.

"So there's the possibility Detective Deeks' cover is compromised." Hetty nodded in agreement. "I'll let Gibbs know right away."

"Keep him safe, Leon," Hetty requested.

"We'll do our best," Vance nodded, and then he was gone.

**_TBC_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer; I own nothing having to do with NCIS or NCIS:LA.**

**Chapter 7**

DiNozzo pulled up to the curb several cars back from where Bishop now sat with Deeks. He could tell they were having a conversation. Suddenly Bishop held something up, her phone maybe, and Deeks was looking at her. Did she just take his picture? He wasn't sure. From his vantage point it now looked like Deeks was resting. Minutes later Deeks turned towards Bishop and then got out of the car and walked away. It wasn't until he disappeared around the corner that Bishop slowly pulled from the curb and continued down the street and out of sight.

Tony sat in the car for quite some time. Deeks, he assumed, was somewhere along the street around the corner watching Niko's house. He was just about to start the car when somebody rapped on the passenger side window. DiNozzo was caught off guard and he jumped slightly. He looked to see who had snuck up on him and was shocked to see Deeks staring back in the window at him. Tony unlocked the door. Deeks got in and looked at Tony.

"Did Gibbs send you out to babysit me?" He asked coldly. Tony studied Deeks' face, the detective's eyes cold and hard. DiNozzo knew Deeks had slipped into his alias. Apparently Max Gentry was not a friendly person.

"Not exactly." Tony lied. He was surprised at the difference in Deeks' demeanor.

"I can handle myself. I've done this before," he said sarcastically.

Before Tony could reply, his phone began ringing. Tony pulled it from his pocket quickly, checking the caller ID before answering. "Yeah, boss?" Tony listened and then nodded silently, looking at the detective. "Okay, I'll let him know." DiNozzo slid his phone back in his jacket pocket before saying anything.

"What did Gibbs want?" Deeks asked.

Tony turned to him, "Your team back in LA has been looking into Niko's history. Apparently he is married to the sister of someone you had a hand in putting behind bars - a dirty cop named Frank Scarli." At the mention of Scarli's name, Tony could see the hatred growing in Deeks' eyes.

"Scarli," Deeks spat, "yeah, didn't see that coming." He looked at Tony, "So I'm compromised?"

"They don't know for sure. Your team wants you to stand down. Gibbs told me to let you make the call, but I'm to back you up either way." Deeks stared at Tony for several moments, thinking. Tony continued, "Look, Marty – I've been in your shoes. I've done the undercover thing, maybe not to the extent you have, but I am not opposed to following your lead here."

Deeks nodded at Tony, his eyes softening, "Good to know. I appreciate the offer, but maybe we should see if Niko knows me as Deeks or still thinks I'm Max first. Either way could go bad quick, no sense in putting us both in harm's way just yet."

"I don't know if I like that idea or not, Marty," Tony confessed. "Did you see Niko when you walked his street?" He wondered aloud.

Deeks shook his head, "No, but the van was in the driveway. Let's pull onto his street from the other end of the block. There's a spot we can sit and watch from. If he leaves we'll follow him. Depending on where he goes I'll try to initiate contact."

Tony nodded in agreement and drove around the block and parked where Deeks had pointed out.

Back at NCIS, Director Vance and Gibbs were having a discussion about Deeks. "Gibbs, do you really think it was a good idea to let Deeks decide how this plays out after finding out he may be compromised?"

Gibbs shrugged, "Detective Deeks is damn good at his job, Leon. He's a lot smarter than Callen gives him credit for."

"I won't argue that Deeks has been undervalued by Callen's team, Gibbs. I don't see how that is relevant in this case."

Gibbs smiled, "Callen's team has him second guessing himself. If we let him run this op his way, he will get results."

Leon looked at Gibbs, doubt still showing in his eyes, "You have DiNozzo backing him up, though?"

Gibbs nodded, "He is with him right now."

Leon looked at Gibbs for a moment before sighing. "I'm going to trust your judgment on this, Gibbs. I don't like it, though, not one bit. We don't even know for sure this Niko character had anything to do with our dead marine. Deeks and DiNozzo could be on a wild goose chase that ends up having nothing to do with NCIS."

Gibbs didn't reply, just looked at Leon with an expression that clearly meant 'yeah, so what?' Vance turned and headed back up to his office.

Deeks and Tony had been sitting down the street from Niko's house for hours. They were both starving.

"Marty, let's go grab something to eat. We can go to my place and get a good night's rest and start fresh in the morning. Besides, I'm gonna need to change into something that doesn't scream federal agent."

Deeks grinned, "Good point. Okay, so what's good to eat around here?"

Tony smiled back as he put his seat belt on and started the car, "You are in for a treat, my friend!" He put the car in gear and drove off.

The next morning they were sitting back in the same spot they had been in the day before, watching for movement at Niko's place. Deeks was looking through binoculars. The van was still in the same spot, as well.

"Surely this guy has a life of some kind," Tony stated, irritation in his tone. He fidgeted with the burn phone he had picked up that morning, tapping out a text and sending it. Deeks had his own burn phone now, as well.

"Not much for sitting and waiting, partner?" Deeks asked jokingly. He dropped the binoculars in his lap and turned to Tony, a slight grin on his face. It felt wrong calling somebody other than Kensi that, but he liked Tony. They got along great, and they were technically partners now, so he made the exception. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and powered it up.

Tony turned and met Deeks' gaze. "If you must know, Marty, no – I don't have much patience for the sitting around and waiting."

Deeks tapped his own text out before he focused back on the house. "Well, Tony, I think our wait is over. Niko and I'm assuming his wife dead ahead." Deeks nodded in their direction.

Tony hurriedly turned his attention to the couple now getting in the van. Niko backed out onto the street and pulled away.

"Thank God they went that direction," Tony said as he started the car. He waited for the van to make the corner before he took off after it.

They tailed Niko for several miles, always staying back far enough they wouldn't be noticed. The van slowed, the right turn signal coming on. Tony moved over to the other lane and drove past as it turned into a convenience store parking lot. They went a block past and doubled back. Tony pulled to the curb on the intersecting street across from the store, keeping their view of the van out in front of them.

Soon after, Niko and the woman he was with came out to the van. It looked like a simple coffee stop, both carrying a Styrofoam cup. Deeks and Tony watched as they climbed back in the van and continued on their way. They followed them south, away from town. Eventually the van pulled into a small, rundown marina. The couple got out and disappeared inside.

Tony cruised on by, "Okay, so now what?" He asked impatiently.

Deeks had been scanning the surrounding area as they went by. "Stop and let me out," he said confidently.

"You're joking, right?" Tony glared at him as he slowed the car, knowing full well Deeks was doing anything _but_ joking right now.

"I'll walk back up the road and start looking at those boats sitting there for sale. Maybe Niko runs the place and he'll come out to push a sale. That'll be my way in." The car had come to a stop. Deeks opened his door to step out.

"Wait, what do you want me to do?" Tony asked quickly.

Deeks looked back the way they had come. "There's a little spot across from the marina back there where you can pull off. Should be enough brush to give you decent cover. Just watch. If it looks like I am in trouble, come in after me – we'll play it just like we talked about. If it seems too serious, call for back up and wait."

Deeks moved to get out of the car when Tony grabbed his arm, "Hey Marty – be careful." Deeks, already having slipped back into Max's frame of mind, nodded at Tony. He appreciated that he had back up, although he hoped he wouldn't need it. Tony let go of his arm, Deeks got out and shut the door. As he started walking back towards the marina, Tony turned the car around. He passed Deeks and continued on until he saw the clearing Deeks had told him about. He pulled in and sat, waiting for Marty to catch up and approach the line of boats sitting out front.

Deeks walked into the front lot of the marina, keeping a watchful eye on the building as he moved towards the closest boat. It was a cabin cruiser. He ran his hand down the side, pretending to examine its condition. He went around the back of it and worked his way to the front again. Deeks stepped around the bow and found himself face to face with Niko Pellicci.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Max Gentry. What brings you to the east, old friend?" Niko asked genuinely, extending his hand for a shake. Max accepted the offer, shaking Niko's hand before dropping his own back to his side. He was about to answer when he felt the unmistakable poke of a gun in his back.

"Why don't we move this little reunion inside, shall we?" Niko suggested forcefully. Max tipped his head slightly, acknowledging Niko's order. As they started walking to the office door Max heard a car approach. The gun at his back was removed as the trio turned to see who was driving the mysterious car.

Marty smiled as he heard Tony's voice call out, "Everything alright here, Max?"

Max grinned from ear to ear when he saw Tony standing next to the car, a 9mm pistol in each hand.

"Everything's fine now," Max said joyfully as he pulled his own gun from the back of his waistband. The smug look on Niko's face was gone, replaced with one of dismay.

Tony stepped around the front of the car, still holding his weapons on Niko and his wife. "Damn, Max, I can't believe you let a woman get the drop on you. Didn't I teach you better than that, bro?" Tony asked with sarcasm filling his voice.

Max turned to Niko's wife. With his left hand, he slowly ran his fingers through her long brunette hair before moving them to her cheek. He caressed her face gently with his thumb. He felt her shiver at his touch. "Such a pretty thing you have here, Niko." Max looked the woman straight in the eyes. The anger he saw there slowly changed to a look of fear. "I'll take that, sweetheart," he said as he took her gun from her hand.

Max turned his gaze to Niko. "Like you were saying, why don't we move this little party inside, yeah?" Max nodded towards the building and they made the rest of their way to the door.

Once inside, Max took in the surroundings. The showroom, if it could still be considered that, was not very well lit. Off to the left there were several offices, all with windows facing the open area they now stood in. At the back of the room was a counter, beyond that another door to what Deeks assumed was the shop.

Niko spoke. "So Max, who is your friend here?"

"Niko, meet my older brother, Gordon." Tony nodded at Niko.

Max caught the slight smirk on Niko's face as he looked at Gordon. Something didn't feel right, and his feeling was proven correct as four men with rifles stood up from behind the counter at the back of the room.

Niko smiled, his eyes lit up. "Well, it's so nice to meet you, Gordon."

Deeks and Tony shared a knowing look, both on the same page. The next few moments would either give them the upper hand again or it would be lights out. Neither of them planned on backing down now.

**_TBC_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own anything to do with NCIS or NCIS:LA – just having fun.**

_Author's note (I): Read it to the end and it will be all better. I promise._

**Chapter 8**

"Hey, Kens – come up here quick." Eric called down to Kensi. She was sitting at her desk in the bullpen, alone, trying to catch up on paperwork. As Kensi made her way up the stairs she hoped that Eric and Nell had finally found Deeks on surveillance cameras in DC. Deeks and DiNozzo had disappeared while working under cover. It was still unclear to the LA team and Gibbs if Niko had known Deeks was a cop or not. Gibbs' whole team was in shock. They had no idea if they were still working the case or if they were in trouble. It was not like DiNozzo to go dark for so long. The same couldn't be said for Deeks, however. He was known for his deep cover ops that lasted months at a time. LAPD would not hear from him for weeks, but then he would pop back up with intel before disappearing again. Gibbs, McGee, and Bishop had been tirelessly looking for their missing duo. It was as if they dropped off the face of the earth.

Kensi stepped into Ops and was surprised to see Hetty staring intently at the screen along with Eric and Nell. When Nell saw Kensi she ran up to her and grabbed her in a hug. Kensi looked down into her friend's eyes. They were filled with sadness. Kensi looked at her, confused.

"Nell, what was that for? What is happening?" Kensi asked, alarmed by the seriousness on everyone's faces.

"Eric has a video feed from a boat ramp outside DC pulled up. Apparently they have found a submerged car off the end of the ramp. Gibbs and his team are on scene. The tow truck is getting ready to pull the car out. Kensi, it is Agent DiNozzo's car. He and Deeks had been using it when they disappeared," Nell explained.

Kensi had to lean against the table to keep from collapsing, her legs nearly giving out at Nell's explanation. She looked at Hetty. What she saw was fear. Kensi shook her head, "No, it can't be them. This isn't happening. The car will be empty. Deeks wouldn't let that happen, Hetty. He promised me. Deeks can't die."

The submerged car was slowly dragged up the ramp. When it was clear of the water somebody waved at the operator running the wench. The car sat still, water pouring out the bottom of the doors steadily. Eric manipulated the camera, zooming in as close as he could. It wasn't a crystal clear view, but it was good enough to make out Gibbs and his team. McGee was on the passenger side of the car while Gibbs stood on the driver's side. The water had slowed considerably and both men grabbed the door handles, pulling them open. They moved to the rear doors and opened them. It was obvious from their reactions that nobody was in the car. A sense of relief came over Kensi. She looked at Eric, Nell and then Hetty. A small grin grew on her face.

"See, I knew they wouldn't be in there," she said confidently.

Gibbs moved to the front door again, reaching in for something. He and McGee walked to the back of the car. Bishop stood to the side of Gibbs. The trunk was facing the camera but the view was blocked by the agents. Gibbs stuck the key in the lock and lifted the trunk lid slowly. Bishop stumbled backwards, covering her mouth with her hands. Kensi watched as Bishop turned towards them, towards the camera. She leaned forward and vomited. She stood there for a moment, her hands on her knees. She then took a few steps before falling to her knees. They could see her shoulders shake as she sobbed, her face in her hands. Gibbs and McGee stood there, still looking at what lay before them in the trunk. Gibbs turned to someone and motioned for them to come over. It was then that Ducky and Palmer appeared. Gibbs and McGee stepped away and just for a moment, before the ME and his assistant moved to block the view, the team in ops could make out two shapes in the trunk. One had dark hair, the other one blond.

"Oh no, oh my God!" Nell cried out.

Hetty gasped.

Kensi refused to believe it. She glanced at the others defiantly, standing tall with her shoulders back, still sure that it was not who they thought it was. Hetty was focused on the screen, a look of horror mixed with sorrow on her small, aged face. Eric stared, swallowing hard as a single tear ran down his cheek. He looked to Kensi and then away quickly when their eyes met. Nell stood, shaking her head in denial, tears streaming freely.

Kensi looked to the screen again as Ducky and Palmer gently lifted the first body out and placed it in the body bag that waited on the gurney. It was Tony, his lifeless body almost too much for them to maneuver. He was handcuffed and his ankles were tied together. They slowly pulled the zipper closed, hiding him from view. Kensi went numb. Ducky motioned to Palmer. Jimmy nodded and rolled Tony's gurney aside and pulled a second one to the back of the car. As he readied the body bag, Ducky leaned into the trunk, doing a cursory examination. Off to the side, Gibbs was having what looked like a heated conversation on his cell phone. Suddenly he flipped his phone shut and without hesitation slammed it onto the pavement. McGee watched as Gibbs turned and walked away quickly. Bishop was still kneeling, her body rocking back and forth as she hugged herself tightly. McGee walked to her and knelt down to offer comfort.

When the phone rang in ops, no one paid it any attention. They kept watching the screen. It continued to ring as Kensi watched them lift her partner out of the back of the car. He was restrained the same as Tony had been.

"Deeks?" Kensi asked, her voice breaking. "Deeks! No…no, no, no…please, no! What did they do to you, Deeks?!" She cried. Her tears began to fall as the reality of the situation hit her. Her partner was gone. She wiped at her eyes and continued to watch. Deeks' head lay facing the camera. She swore his eyes were open and staring right at her. They were her favorite shade of blue. As she cried out for her partner it struck her how odd it seemed that his skin was pale - his eyes, though, shone brightly. As Ducky began closing Deeks' body bag, she kept staring into his eyes. Ducky stopped short of zipping the bag completely shut. When Kensi noticed what he was about to do she lost it. "No! NO! Stop! Don't close his eyes!" She sobbed. "Deeks! Please, please don't let him close your eyes! Deeks…oh God, no, no!" Ducky couldn't hear Kensi's screams. He gently closed Deeks' eyelids and then the bag, stealing him from her. Just then the phone began to ring again. Still nobody moved to answer it.

"Deeks! Oh, Deeks… please…you promised, Marty…you have to come back to me!"

The phone kept ringing. Hetty walked up to Kensi, tears in her own eyes – a defeated look on her face. She reached out and patted Kensi on the shoulder gently. "I'm so sorry, my dear, so, so sorry. Mr. Deeks was a great man. He will be missed."

Hetty's voice was raw with emotion. As she slowly walked away the phone continued to ring. Kensi wept for Deeks, for them, for everything they hadn't but should have gotten to do together. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the last image she had of her partner. Finally her crying slowed and she took a deep breath. Suddenly she had the urge to pee very badly.

The phone started ringing yet again. She opened her eyes. She wasn't in ops watching them retrieve Tony and Deeks' bodies from a once sunken car. Eric and Nell weren't there. Neither was Hetty. Kensi wasn't even at work. She was still lying in her bed. It was Tuesday morning. It was her alarm that kept going off, not a ringing phone. She reached to shut the alarm off. She lay there for a few moments, shaking off the horrifying feeling her dream had left her with. It had seemed so real, but it was just a very bad dream. 'Oh thank God. Pull yourself together, Blye. It was just a nightmare. Deeks is still alive' she said to herself. She threw her covers off and ran to the bathroom. She was anxious to get ready for work, wanting to find out if there was any news on her wayward partner.

* * *

Kensi walked into the bullpen briskly, dropped her bag at her desk and ran up to Ops.

"Hey, Nell." Kensi said softly.

"Oh hey, Kensi. You're here kinda early. What's up?" Nell asked.

"Well, we never really got to talk after the whole…you know, Deeks thing yesterday." Kensi wasn't sure where she was going with this thought. "Um…did…do you…did you or Eric hear anything?"

Nell pursed her lips and looked around the room, knowing she should just answer no – but realizing Kensi would not let it go, she decided to share. "Oh! Yeah, uh…so, Granger talked with Agent Gibbs after you…um, after you left yesterday morning." Nell looked at Kensi, her eyes wide.

"And?" Kensi asked impatiently.

"Ok, yeah…I'm – uh, I'm just going to tell you what I know and you have to swear that you will not breathe a word of it to anybody."

"Nell, come on, just spill it!" Kensi almost whined.

"Granger and Callen talked to Gibbs. G walked out angry when Gibbs told him that Deeks wanted to stay a little longer. Granger told Gibbs why Callen was upset. He also told him that Deeks didn't feel like he is treated as part of the team here. How Callen doesn't care for Deeks' personality, how Sam disrespected him early on…" Nell paused, not sure if she should go on.

"What else, Nell? Kensi demanded.

"Kensi, don't take this the wrong way but Granger said you and Deeks are a great team, but that you are stone cold and that it's wearing on Deeks." Nell grimaced as she waited for Kensi's reaction.

"What? I'm…he said that?" Kensi was shocked. "What gave him that idea? Wait…Granger talked with Deeks on Saturday before he left. Did Deeks tell him that? Deeks wouldn't say that about me, would he?"

"I don't know, Kens. Maybe it's just Granger's observation? You have to admit, you can be kind of hard on him at times," Nell said before she could stop herself. She hoped Kensi wouldn't hate her for it. Kensi didn't argue, her shoulders sagging a bit as she took in what her friend had pointed out.

Kensi shook her head, still contemplating what Nell said. "Was there anything else?"

Nell wasn't sure she should tell Kensi anything more. Kensi must've read Nell's mind.

"Nell, I know you aren't telling me everything. Now come on, before everybody else gets here!"

Nell sighed. "Gibbs said they all love Deeks there. Actually, Gibbs calls him Marty. It was very weird hearing him call Deeks by his first name." Nell smiled when she thought about it. "Gibbs also said Director Vance was pushing Deeks to become an agent." Nell stopped, noticing that Kensi was fighting back tears.

Kensi looked at Nell, wiping at a tear that threatened to fall. "Go on," she said quietly.

Nell decided to just get it over with. "Gibbs told Granger that he wants to keep Deeks, that he fits right in with his team." Kensi's eyes grew wide at that. Nell continued, "Granger said he would talk to Hetty, but that it would be up to Deeks whether to go or stay."

Kensi stood there with a stunned look on her face, staring at Nell. She opened her mouth to say something – and just then Eric came bounding into ops.

"Hey guys!" He said cheerfully.

Kensi looked at him quickly, "Hey Eric," she said solemnly. She looked back to Nell, "Thanks." She turned and headed for the door.

Eric watched her go, and then looked at Nell, "What was that all about?"

Nell admitted, "I maybe, uh…sort of…told her what we heard between Granger and Gibbs yesterday."

Eric's smile disappeared immediately, his eyes big. "Why would you do that?!"

"You know Kensi, she asked. She's just like Deeks, she wouldn't have stopped bothering me until she got what she wanted anyway, so once she said something I just gave in and told her." Nell explained.

Eric shook his head in agreement, but still looked scared. "But what-" Nell cut him off.

"Don't worry about it, Beale. It'll be okay." Nell gave him a reassuring smile. Eric smiled back after a few seconds, nodded at her and then sat at his desk.

Back in the bullpen, Sam and Callen had shown up while Kensi was still upstairs. Kensi sighed as she made her way back to her desk, not in the mood for the guys' questions she was sure they would ask.

Sam looked up when he heard someone coming down the stairs and was surprised to see it was Kensi. She looked upset. She pulled her chair out and sat down with a huff. She wouldn't look at him or Callen, who was now watching her, as well. She busied herself on her laptop, acting like she was the only one in the room.

"Good morning, Kensi," Sam finally said.

Kensi peeked at him over the top of her screen, "Morning, Sam."

Sam glanced over at his partner, who was sitting there next to Kensi, still watching her with interest. G looked over at Sam and back to Kensi, a slight smile on his face.

"What, Kens, no 'good morning' for me?" Callen asked.

Kensi stopped what she was doing and turned her head and put on her best fake smile, "Good morning, G."

Callen chuckled. "Good morning. Everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" She shot back at him quickly.

He held his hands up in surrender, "No reason. You just seem to be on edge this morning is all."

"I'm fine," she claimed.

Sam smiled, knowing full well from talking with Deeks that when Kensi said she was fine she was anything but. He was about to call her out on it when Eric whistled down to them.

"Got a case, guys," he nodded back to Ops over his shoulder.

The three team mates headed for the stairs. Sam reached out and patted Kensi on the shoulder, not saying anything, just wanting to let her know he was there and that he cared. She looked at him quickly. Sam could see the hurt in her eyes. She smiled weakly and looked away, continuing up to Ops.

**_TBC_**

_Author's note (II): You heard Deeks, he promised. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with NCIS or NCIS:LA, just playing with my favorite characters.**

**Chapter 9 **_**(cont'd from chapter 7)**_

_Max caught the slight smirk on Niko's face as he looked at Gordon. Something didn't feel right, and his feeling was proved correct as four men with rifles stood up from behind the counter at the back of the room. _

_Niko smiled, his eyes lit up. "Well, it's so nice to meet you, Gordon."_

_Deeks and Tony shared a knowing look, both on the same page. The next few moments would either give them the upper hand again or it would be lights out. Neither of them planned on backing down now._

Niko was still smiling as he looked at Gordon and then back to Max. He was feeling pretty good about the situation with his little pack of gunmen popping up at the back of the room. That was until Gordon grabbed his wife and spun her in front of him, using her as a shield. At the same time, Niko felt himself yanked around, Max pulling the same move Gordon just used on the wife. The four gunmen raised their rifles.

Max whispered in Niko's ear, "I don't know what your little game is you're playing here with me. I can tell you this, though – my brother Gordon and I, we like to share. Wifey here may not look at you the same afterwards. Got it?"

Niko understood completely. "Guys, uh…go ahead and put your weapons down. Just a small misunderstanding here between me and an old friend." The guys all looked at Niko, doubt lingering on whether to listen or take action.

Max was short on patience. "You heard your boss. Drop them and step out from behind the counter. Do it now!" He demanded.

The men slowly sat their rifles down and came around the counter.

"On your knees, all of you!" Max barked. "Keep an eye on them, Gordon. If anyone moves so much as an inch don't hesitate to put a hole in them."

Max had noticed along the one wall there were several boating and fishing items still hanging on hooks. He walked quickly to them and scanned through everything until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed a utility knife and some rope. He sliced the rope into sections and then tied each man's hands together. Once that was done, they tied Niko and his wife together and made them sit with the men. Max motioned for Gordon to follow him. They walked to one of the empty offices, all the while Max kept his gun trained on the group in the middle of the floor.

"What the hell, Marty? What do we do now?" Tony asked quietly, falling out of character. Max glared at him.

"Clearly they are up to no good, wouldn't you say? I mean, really – who pulls a gun on a prospective customer without even asking questions first?" Max/Deeks half joked.

Tony threw his head back and laughed, "Oh, Max – that, that was good. Maybe we should save the jokes for later, though, huh? What are we doing?" Tony questioned seriously.

"Ok, so here's the plan – we can safely assume something fishy is going on here, no pun intended." Max said softly, just loud enough for Tony to hear. Tony raised an eyebrow. "We tie the guys up and leave them here, let Gibbs come get them. He can take them back to interrogate them while we take Niko, his wife and their van. Leave your car here for Gibbs. Basically whatever Niko has going on, we'll make him bring us on board," he explained.

Tony shook his head, a surprised look on his face. "Is this how you always operate undercover?"

"No, but in some cases you have to join them to beat them. I've…_Max_ has done a lot of not nice things to get the job done." Deeks turned away from Tony, looking back out to the group huddling together in the middle of the floor.

"What happens if Gibbs can't get anything out of them? Then they know we're agents and they contact Niko. What then? What if Niko has done nothing wrong?"

"Come on, man. Think about it. I've got history with this guy. He is a bad man. He will not hesitate to kill us or anybody that gets in his way. I've seen it. We could have him held for extradition back to LA on murder and numerous other charges right now. I'm sure all it would take is a call to my boss back at LAPD and they would be all over it. The best thing we can do for now is stay with him and control what he does – and I know just how to do that. Believe me when I tell you Niko does not want us messing with his woman. Did you see the worry in his eyes when I touched her? She is his weakness."

"How do you-?" Tony started to ask. Deeks interrupted before he could get the question out.

"Have you ever loved someone so much that you would do anything for them, Tony? I mean absolutely anything, no matter the cost to your own wellbeing?" Deeks dropped his head, looking at the floor for a moment, then back to the group. He returned his focus to Tony.

Tony thought about it. He looked at Marty and smiled, "Yeah, Marty, I have," he said softly.

"Me, too," Deeks whispered. "Niko looks at her the same way I…uh…" He didn't finish his thought.

"Kensi, your partner?" Tony asked.

Deeks blew out a breath and met Tony's stare, nodding gently. "Yeah, my partner."

Tony smiled - a knowing look in his eyes. "Okay, let's do this. You lead, I'll follow. It's worked for us so far."

Max looked at Gordon and nodded, the cold look in his eyes reappearing.

They approached Niko and his men. "All of you on your feet. Let's go. Move it!" Max ordered.

They struggled to stand. Once they were up, Gordon and Max checked all their pockets. They took their cell phones and left them for Gibbs. McGee and Abby could work their magic on them for more information. Max pointed to the door. "You four, go!" The men moved slowly. Max walked behind them. The men entered the room Max motioned to one after the other. There were several chairs in this office. Max took more rope and tied the men together at the wrist and the ankles. As he tied one of the men to the chair he was sitting in, the man spoke.

"Niko will never let you get away with this. Whoever you are, he will hunt you down and kill you."

Max got right in the man's face. "Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure about that, buddy."

The man responded by spitting in Max's face. Max became enraged. He shoved his forearm against the man's throat, pushing his head back against the chair until he was unable to breathe. At this point he was almost in the guy's lap. He slammed his fist into the man's gut as hard as he could. The man was turning blue, spittle dribbling from his lips. Max glared into his eyes, his own filled with pure hatred. He pushed the barrel of his gun under the man's chin, making his eyes grow wide with fear.

Max bellowed "You got anything else to say?! Do you?!" The man shook his head side to side as best he could, barely conscious now from the lack of oxygen. Max pushed away from him, leaving him coughing and gasping desperately for air.

Max wiped his face off with the sleeve of his shirt and turned to the others, "Any one of you wanna make a wiseass comment?"

They all answered no at the same time. Max finished tying them to their chairs. He left them in the office and returned to the showroom where Gordon was keeping an eye on Niko and his wife.

Max walked up to the wife, "What's your name, sweetie?"

Niko lunged at Max. Gordon grabbed him. "Leave her alone, Max, or I swear I'll-"

Max spun around, "Or you'll what, Niko? Huh? What are you gonna do, exactly?" Niko broke eye contact, looking at the floor instead.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Max spat out.

Niko's wife spoke, "My name is Allasyn." Max looked back to her, a smile growing on his face.

"Nice to meet you, Allasyn. Max, we need to move it," Gordon pointed out.

Max nodded in agreement. They walked Niko and his wife to the van. Once they were safely inside, they moved a few feet away and spoke softly.

"I'm guessing the text you sent earlier was a message for Gibbs?" Gordon asked.

Max grinned as he looked at Gordon. "Abby would have kicked my ass if I didn't let her help somehow."

Gordon chuckled. He tossed his keys into his car before getting in the van with Max. They pulled into traffic and headed back towards DC. As they were leaving, Gibbs pulled in with McGee and Bishop.

In LA, Callen rode shotgun as Sam drove while Kensi rode in the back. With Kensi's partner on the other side of the country, she was relegated to third wheel status. They had made fairly quick work of their case. They were on their way back to the mission when Callen decided it was time to find out what was eating at Kensi.

"Are you going to tell us what is bothering you, Kens? I mean other than the obvious?" Callen asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Callen," she quipped.

Callen looked over at Sam, who glanced quickly at him, a small grin on his face. Sam rolled his eyes and turned back to the road.

"What was that look for, Sam?" Kensi asked, clearly irritated.

Sam looked at her in the rear view mirror and shrugged his shoulders.

"Come on, we know you're upset about Deeks being gone. It seems like there is something more on your mind, though, than just that. You can tell us," Callen reasoned with her.

Kensi looked at her hands, then back to Callen, who had turned in his seat to face her as best he could.

"I had a nightmare early this morning, okay? It seemed so real. Deeks and Agent DiNozzo had disappeared and Gibbs found Tony's car under water at some boat ramp. They were tied up in the trunk, dead," she explained. "I was so worried. I know it was just a dream, but..." She paused before continuing, "So I came in to work early hoping to talk to Nell. You know, to see if she or Eric heard anything after we left Ops. If I tell you guys this, you can't say anything to anyone or I will get Nell in big trouble."

Kensi waited on them to agree. Again Sam glanced in the rear view and nodded, Callen doing the same.

"What did Nell tell you?" Sam asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Among other things, Granger told Gibbs that I was wearing Deeks down."

Callen and Sam glanced at each other. Callen looked back to Kensi, "He's wrong you know."

Kensi shook her head. "No, I don't know, Callen! I mean, when I stop and think about it...of all the times Deeks was just trying to ease the tension or make me feel better about myself or a case and I...I just shut him down. I've been so mean to him and all he has ever done is show that he cares, that he always has my back, you know? What if..." she looked away for a moment, quickly wiping at a tear before continuing, "what if I really am pushing him away? What if I _have_ pushed him away and he doesn't come back?" She looked at Callen nervously.

"He'll be back, Kensi," Sam said confidently.

"Nell said Vance is working on getting Deeks to become an agent," she said

"Good! He needs to. He should have a long time ago," Callen exclaimed.

"Yeah, but Callen, Nell said Gibbs wants Deeks on his team. He said he fits in there and everybody loves him. Nell said Gibbs calls him Marty. We have worked with him for years and we still call him by his last name. I know we call each other by our first names sometimes, but never him. What if they make him feel so welcome that he doesn't want to come back to us?" She pointed out.

Trying to break the seriousness of the moment, Callen tries to be funny, "I don't have a first name."

Kensi almost smiled, "G is your first name, that counts."

He grinned at her.

She continued, "Granger told Gibbs he would talk to Hetty about Deeks transferring to DC. He said it was up to Deeks what to do. That must mean Granger would be all for him leaving," she said sadly.

Callen's phone rang. He answered, switching to speaker, "What is it, Eric?"

"We just received word from Director Vance that Deeks and DiNozzo caught up with Niko and his wife. They followed them to an old marina south of DC. I'll catch you up with the rest once you're back in Ops," Eric reported.

At the mention of a marina Kensi's stomach knotted. That sounded a little too close to her nightmare and she started to panic. "Eric, are they alright?" She asked, fear in her voice.

"Oh...uh, yeah. As far as we know, they are. Why?"

"No reason. Thanks!" She said, relieved.

Callen and Sam looked at each other, both with concern in their eyes. Kensi's confession about a nightmare involving a boat ramp and then Eric's update regarding a marina spooked all of them.

Back in Ops, Granger stood along with Hetty, Nell and Eric waiting for the rest of the team. The door slid open and in walked Kensi followed by Sam, with Callen close behind.

Callen was pissed. He had made his feelings clear that Deeks should stand down not knowing whether or not he was compromised. Now to find out Deeks confronted Niko anyway really upset him.

"What the hell is Deeks doing, Hetty? I thought we agreed he should back off?"

"Yes, well Mr. Callen, it was our suggestion but not our call to make. Mr. Deeks is working for someone else right now, isn't he?" She said rather coldly.

Granger looked from Hetty back to Callen with a bit of a smug grin on his face. "Agent Gibbs put Deeks in charge of this operation."

Kensi, Sam and Callen shared surprised looks.

"Gibbs, McGee and Bishop are interrogating four of Niko's men right now. Niko apparently tried to draw them into an ambush. We don't have details yet, but Deeks and DiNozzo were able to take the four gunmen into custody without a shot being fired. As far as we can tell, Max Gentry is still a viable alias. Tony is operating as Max's older brother, Gordon. McGee and Abby are doing an admirable job backstopping them both on their end."

Eric interrupted before anyone could say anything, "Hey guys, we have Agent Gibbs on the big screen." He swiped his tablet and Gibbs appeared.

"Jethro, what news do you have for us concerning our Mr. Deeks?" Hetty asked, her implied use of the word 'our' plenty clear.

Gibbs smiled, "Marty is doing what I brought him here to do, Hetty."

"Granger said you put him in charge. Why would you do that knowing that he may be compromised?" Callen asked angrily.

"I let him decide how he wanted to handle it, G. He had a plan for either way it went. So far we have recovered the cell phones of four of Niko Pellicci's associates and we have those four men in custody. Marty and Tony are still under as the Gentry brothers. They are trying to infiltrate whatever Pellicci is involved in," Gibbs explained.

"How did Deeks take Niko's men into custody without Niko finding out he was a cop?" Sam asked.

Gibbs chuckled. "I don't know exactly how they did it being outnumbered like they were, but Marty sent Abby a location on a burn phone. By the time we got to the marina, Marty was driving off in Niko's van with Tony, Niko and his wife. We located the four men tied to chairs in an office. As far as they know, we were there looking for Max and his brother. They were the consolation prize. Marty and Tony's covers are intact."

Gibbs' phone rang. He answered it quickly. "Gibbs." He listened a few seconds and then nodded. "I'll be right down, Abs."

Jethro looked to everyone in Ops. "When we find something else out we will let you know." The screen went black before anybody in LA could say anything else.

The LA team stood there in silence, a perplexed look on all their faces.

"Everyone back to work. I'm sure there are stacks of paperwork that could be gone through the rest of the day," Hetty commented before walking out the door. Granger followed her.

The three agents stayed behind, wanting to talk with Eric and Nell before heading off for the dreaded paperwork.

_**TBC**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS:LA or NCIS, just having fun…**

_**Chapter 10**_

As soon as Hetty and Granger were out of earshot Callen looked at Eric and Nell. "Tell us what you know about Deeks' location."

Nell glanced at Eric, her eyes wide. Eric swallowed hard. "Uh…we uh, we don't know his exact location. We've been looking for him and so far he has not popped up anywhere," Eric admitted.

"What about the marina he was at?" Kensi asked, still shaken by her nightmare.

Eric tapped at his tablet a few times and a satellite image came up on the big screen. "This is where Niko and his men were."

The team studied the area. Eric zoomed in as much as he could. Kensi gasped. Everyone looked at her. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide with fright.

"Are you okay, Kensi?" Nell asked.

After a few moments she nodded, looking from Nell to Callen. "There's a boat ramp," she pointed it out.

"Kensi, it was just a dream. You heard Gibbs, Deeks was driving away when he got there. He is okay," Sam tried to comfort her.

Nell looked confused. "What's with the boat ramp?"

Kensi sighed deeply before speaking, "I didn't tell you this earlier, but the real reason I was up and here so early was because I had a really bad dream about Deeks. He and Agent DiNozzo had gone missing. Gibbs found them in the trunk of DiNozzo's car, dead. It…it had been driven into the water at a boat ramp." She shivered at the memory.

"Oh, okay. Sorry, Kens," Nell said sheepishly.

Callen stood there looking at the screen. Sam knew something had his partner's attention. "What are you thinking, G?"

Callen turned to Sam. "I don't know, Sam. If I had to guess, I would say if Pellicci has something planned, it goes through that marina."

"That may be true, but we have nothing we can do from our end with this. It's not our case." Sam pointed out.

"Eric, is there any chance you can access LAPD files prior to Deeks joining us? Anything you can find on this bust, I want to know about it. Who was involved, what they were doing – specifically what was Niko's interest?" Callen ordered.

Eric looked at Sam, and then down at his tablet. Again Sam addressed Callen, "G, what are you at with this? We can't do anything. This is Deeks' operation. He wasn't with us then. He is not with us now. It was LAPD's jurisdiction, and now it is Deeks' and Gibbs' problem. We have our own cases to worry about."

Callen just looked at his partner but didn't say anything. He turned back to Eric and Nell. "Are there cameras in the area of that marina? Any way at all to keep an eye on the place to see who comes and goes?"

"Uh…I don't…I mean, should I…" Eric looked back and forth between Callen and Sam, not sure what to do. "Should I look into it?"

"Do it, Eric, and let me know what you find out," Callen said forcefully. He turned and headed for the door.

"G? G, where you going, man? G!" Sam called after his partner.

Callen never slowed down and didn't look back. He left ops without saying another word, leaving his team to wonder what had come over him.

* * *

Max drove back towards DC, Gordon riding shotgun. Niko and Allasyn were sitting in the rear of the van on the floor.

"Max, what the hell are you even doing here in DC?" Niko asked.

Max grinned as he looked over at Gordon, then called out over his shoulder, "I'm here visiting my brother. What the hell are you doing here in DC? Shouldn't you be doing time back in LA? You must have some lawyer."

Niko laughed, "I had someone much better than a good lawyer, Max. So much better that I didn't do any time."

Max glanced at Gordon. "Oh, yeah? Well who is he? Maybe I could use his services myself someday."

"Unfortunately, my brother-in-law is out of commission. His luck ran out and he is in prison himself - has been for a few years now," Niko confessed.

"Your brother-in-law? How did he help you?" Max asked Niko.

"My wife's brother Frank was a cop. LAPD. He knew about that job we were working on, knew there was a raid going to happen. He told me when, so I just conveniently disappeared before it went down," Niko explained. "It wasn't too long after that we heard that he got busted for his involvement in some human traffic ring. I guess he set up one of his fellow officers to take the fall for it. She ended up dead and somehow Frank got made. The feds got him."

Max gripped the wheel tight and didn't say a word. He fought the urge to pull over and pound the hell out of Niko. He thought about his old partner, Jess. He thought about how he narrowly escaped being blown up and how Jess didn't. He remembered sitting in his car that day, his skin still tender from the explosion, his body aching from the beating Lazik and his men had given him before Callen, Sam and Kensi interrupted them. He would never forget the look on Frank Scarli's face when he told Marty that if Lazik hadn't killed Jess, he would have. He remembered how Frank had pulled his gun, ready to shoot him when he told Frank they knew it was him that was dirty. Max blew out a breath, trying to calm himself. It was then that he realized Gordon had been asking him a question.

"What…what did you say?" Max said quietly, looking at Gordon.

"I said are you okay?" Gordon whispered, an impatient look on his face.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine. No worries," Max nodded. He continued to drive. Gordon studied Max for a moment. Max felt his stare and without looking at Gordon, again whispered "I'm good."

"So Niko, you didn't answer my brother's question," Gordon started. "What are you doing in DC?"

"After the last job in LA, once Frank got busted, my business opportunities there were too risky. Being married to the sister of a dirty cop would have brought unwanted attention to me. We left. We ended up here in DC a year or so ago, settled down and just enjoyed life, ya know? I started to get the itch to work again. The marina is a perfect cover. It's old, not so close to downtown," Niko paused. "Then last week we were at a bar. Allasyn and I were having a nice night out. I had gone to the restroom. When I came back to our table a guy was hitting on Allasyn. He was pretty drunk and wouldn't take the hint that she was my wife. Before things could get out of hand we left. We decided to go to another bar. We were just getting out of the van when this same stupid drunk approached us. He had followed us somehow. He moved towards Allasyn and I just snapped. Let's put it this way, that dirtball won't be bothering anybody else's woman ever again," Niko grinned, but not for long. Something else was definitely on his mind.

Max and Gordon glanced at each other. Gordon mouthed 'our dead marine'. Max shifted his eyes slightly, acknowledging Gordon's thought.

"Let me guess, Niko, now you're worried somebody will figure out it was you that offed this guy, right? Whatever your business plans are, you're afraid they'll be in jeopardy now." Max voiced Niko's concerns.

Niko agreed. "I'm afraid you are right, Max. Maybe I'm losing my touch, eh?" He said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Max sat there beaming. "Come on, Niko! Don't you think it's a little odd that your old buddy Max just shows up outta the blue? Its fate, man – let my brother and I help you out. You and I worked out so well back in LA. Let's put the band back together. I got nothing holding me down right now. No one is gonna miss me back home. I can hang out here with my bro, help tend to things for you so you can stay low. What do you say? It's a win-win for all of us!"

Niko looked to his wife. She nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay Max…maybe we can work something out." Niko agreed.

"Excellent!" Max smiled and kept driving.

Gordon had pulled his cell out and was furiously texting info back to Abby. He chuckled slightly and shook his head, glancing over at Max. He didn't know a lot about Detective Marty Deeks, but he was fairly certain the man had balls of steel. To just blow into town and dive right into two investigations, getting two murder confessions and pretty much taking Niko's operation over within the blink of an eye – well, color him impressed. Tony knew Gibbs must feel the same to just hand the reins over to him. Deeks was a born operator. Gibbs' team was already an elite outfit. If they had Deeks on full time it would add a whole other dimension to the team.

Max looked to Gordon when he heard him laugh to himself quietly. Gordon saw the sparkle in Max's eyes. They both shared a smile before turning to the front again.

* * *

Sam shook his head before looking to Eric and Nell. "You keep me posted on where he goes, you got it?"

They both nodded yes. Eric spoke first, "Sam, should I try to get info from DC for Callen? What will Assistant Director Granger or Hetty say if they find out I'm snooping for info on Deeks?"

"You send them to me if they find out. I got a feeling G is not gonna let this go. He is fired up about Deeks right now. G knows we need him, he just has a hard time figuring out how to let Deeks know. It wouldn't surprise me if G goes off the reservation on this. If you can find out anything without digging too deep, go ahead. You'll let me know what you find, too?" Sam asked, pointing at them both.

"You got it, Sam," Nell said, and then added, "What about Kensi?"

"What about Kensi?" Sam looked from Nell to Kensi. She raised her eyebrows, wondering what Nell was getting at.

"Ummm…am I supposed to keep Kensi posted too, or…?" Nell questioned.

Sam looked at Kensi. "You aren't going to run off to DC to track your partner down, are you?" He asked, only half joking because he wouldn't put it past her.

Kensi rolled her eyes at Sam. "No, Sam…I won't go after Deeks – at least not without warning you first." She grinned at him.

Eric and Nell glanced at each other and then back to the agents. "Ok, so we'll keep you both in the loop on Callen and anything we can find on Deeks then," Eric acknowledged.

Sam nodded in agreement and then left ops. He was surprised to see Callen talking with Granger and Hetty at her desk. Before he could get down the stairs Callen got up and left, not giving Sam a chance to say anything. Sam looked to Hetty. She raised her hand and motioned him over.

"Everything alright, Hetty?" Sam asked, concerned about how Callen had been acting.

"I'm afraid your partner is going to end up poking his nose in where it doesn't belong, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said, clearly agitated.

Sam glanced at Granger, "With all due respect, Assistant Director Granger, you brought most of this on yourself."

Granger's eyes got big as he looked at Sam, "Excuse me, Agent Hanna?"

"You heard me. You've done nothing but rub it in our faces since yesterday morning about how we've misjudged Deeks. Now we are getting word back from Gibbs that he put Deeks in charge and let him go after Pellicci when he could be compromised – and you act like it's no big deal that we are concerned about him – like this is some kind of game."

"Watch your tone, Agent Hanna. Deeks doesn't need you or anyone else to babysit him and he damn sure doesn't need or want your pity. I'm not going to lie, I was not a fan of Detective Deeks early on. After reviewing his records from LAPD and seeing firsthand what he has accomplished as part of this team I've changed my mind. I find it humorous, I'll admit, that once Gibbs set him loose in DC he has proven his skills are not a fluke. The man knows his stuff. If anything, Deeks should have his own team. At the very least he should be with a team that is not afraid to use his skills. Right now, yours is not that team," Granger pointed around the mission as he spoke.

Just then Kensi walked up to them.

"Ours is not the team for what?" She wanted to know.

"Ms. Blye, the Assistant Director was just explaining to Mr. Hanna that right now Mr. Deeks' services are better suited to a different team. I'm afraid at the moment I agree with that assessment," Hetty admitted to them.

"Hetty, why, uh…why would you say that?" Kensi asked, looking at Sam nervously.

Hetty looked at each of her agents and then to Granger before continuing, "Mr. Deeks is very good at what he does, otherwise I would never have brought him here. I saw in him a fighter, someone who sees good when others see evil, a man that puts others before himself no matter the situation. The LAPD put Mr. Deeks' life in his own hands with very little back up. Here, I was hoping he would be able to continue the work he does so well, but on a team that had each other's backs. As Owen pointed out before you joined the conversation, Ms. Blye, he thrives when he is left to do things as he sees fit. Jethro is not afraid of letting Mr. Deeks do just that, where with our team we seem to be holding him back."

"So what are you saying, Hetty? Is he…are you saying he is leaving the team permanently?" Kensi asked, her voice cracking.

Hetty shook her head, "No, my dear, what I'm saying is that we need to improve how we utilize Mr. Deeks. That goes for all of us. When the circumstances are such that Mr. Deeks' experience comes into play, we need to trust him and follow his lead. I have no doubt Mr. Deeks will return to our team. I have a feeling it will be more than just as our LAPD liaison, however." Hetty clasped her hands in her lap and looked up at Owen, the slightest grin showing at the corners of her mouth.

Sam and Kensi shared a confused glance. "Is that it, Hetty?" Kensi was able to get out.

Hetty looked to them both and dismissed them with a nod and a small wave of her hand. The agents looked at each other again and then returned to the bullpen, each taking a seat. The paperwork Hetty assigned them earlier was not going to fill itself out.

_**TBC**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS: LA, NCIS or any of the characters. **

_**Chapter 11**_

The last week had been hard on the LA team. They all missed Deeks, none more so than Kensi. Callen, although he would never admit it, did miss the jovial detective but felt more guilt than anything. It was implied by Granger and even Hetty that he was the biggest offender in the underestimation of Deeks. He didn't think that was completely true, but he understood that as team leader it fell on his shoulders to keep the team morale up and he had failed. As the week wore on, he distanced himself from Sam and Kensi a little more each day. They didn't have many cases come up and he was glad for it. He could not stop thinking about Deeks being in DC basically running an op by the seat of his pants. It didn't matter to him that Deeks actually excelled at working like that. To Callen that was just wrong. He was disappointed that Eric and Nell hadn't come up with much, only making him worry that much more for the safety of the detective. He knew deep down that Jethro would have his back, but he didn't like his cavalier attitude about letting Deeks run the op as he saw fit.

Eric and Nell had not been able to pull much from old LAPD files. They only had what little info had been passed back to them from Gibbs. Eric had found a few cameras in the vicinity of the marina, but the only activity they caught was what appeared to be a boat rental business being run out of the marina. Niko Pellicci, his wife, Max, Gordon and a few others were seen coming and going on several days, but nothing visibly suspicious. Abby had filled Gibbs in on the evidence they had found on the phones they had taken from Niko's men. Fortunately, every single one of them confessed to and were arrested on various charges and still in custody of the local PD. Enough was found on the phones to implicate several other suspects with numerous unsolved crimes in the area. As far as the LA team knew, at last report Deeks and Tony were still infiltrating whatever operation Niko had going. He had admitted to the death of the marine, but with the opportunity to catch him at something even bigger, it was decided since they had eyes and ears on the inside they would let the investigation continue to see where it led.

Callen made sure to be up early and at the mission long before Kensi and Sam would arrive. He walked to Hetty's desk and dropped an envelope on it. He stood there a moment and looked around the mission slowly. He sighed, and then stepped over to the bullpen. He pulled his chair out and sat down. He turned to Kensi's end of the desk and then looked across to where his partner, Sam, would sit. Finally he looked directly across from his desk to the empty spot Deeks had occupied up until the week before. He took a deep breath and then got up. With a final glance over his shoulder he walked down the tunnel and disappeared.

Kensi walked into the bullpen to find Sam already sitting at his desk. It was Monday morning, a week since her partner had gone to DC.

"Morning, Sam," Kensi greeted him with a grin.

Sam looked up from his laptop, returning her smile. "Good morning, Kensalino. You seem chipper for a Monday morning," he commented.

She gave him an even bigger smile and pulled her phone from her pocket. She swiped the screen and then walked over to Sam, holding her phone out to him. There was a text from Abby, but the message was clearly from a certain missing blond haired detective.

_Tell Fern that Shaggy says "hey" and that he misses her smile. Hope to see her soon:)_

He read the text and looked up at her. "Well look at that. Deeks, the romantic. Who knew?" He smirked.

Kensi pulled her phone back, her cheeks blushing slightly. She turned and went back to her chair. As she sat down Sam couldn't help but smile at her.

"Kensi Marie Blye blushing?" He made a show of searching his desk and picking up a pen before scribbling something.

Kensi watched him with curiosity. "What are you doing, Sam?"

He looked up at her. "I'm marking my calendar 'this is the day Kensi blushed'," he joked with her.

She grabbed a pencil and threw it at him before sticking her tongue out. Sam ducked the projectile and grinned at her. It was good to see her smiling. He knew she missed Deeks, but that small gesture was all she needed to brighten her day. Even from the other side of the country, Deeks was the only one who could make her smile like that.

They were still grinning at each other when Eric hollered for them to come up to Ops. They looked to Callen's empty chair before looking back at each other. Sam shook his head and rolled his eyes as he got up and followed Kensi up the stairs. He knew before they even made it two steps that Callen had gone lone wolf on them. He was actually surprised it took him this long.

Sam and Kensi walked in to Ops to find Hetty and Granger already there, along with Eric and Nell.

"Where is he?" Sam asked, irritated that his partner had taken off.

Hetty looked at Sam, her eyes wide, "Where is who, Mr. Hanna?"

"I know my partner, Hetty. G has not been acting himself since Deeks left. He has gone to DC to find him, hasn't he?"

Hetty sighed and nodded, "It would appear so. He left me a letter this morning. He said he was taking some personal time off."

Eric confirmed that Callen had indeed boarded a flight earlier that morning bound for Washington.

Sam shook his head, disappointed. "Have you warned Gibbs that he may have a visitor? It would be a good idea for them to get word to Deeks, as well."

"Already taken care of, Mr. Hanna." Hetty declared.

Granger looked at Kensi. "Agent Blye, I need you to assure me that you aren't going to pull the same stunt as Agent Callen."

She looked from Sam to Granger, a surprised expression on her face. "Wha…well, no!" She exclaimed. "Why would I do that?" She asked a little too defensively.

Granger smirked, "I think we all know the answer to that, Blye." For the second time this morning Kensi felt herself blush. "I'm sure you both still have plenty of paperwork to catch up on. You and Agent Hanna can keep tabs on everything going on with Deeks and Callen from here. Any new cases will be redirected to other offices until further notice. Until we have a complete team OSP is standing down, effective immediately."

"But-" Kensi started to argue.

"No buts, Agent Blye." Granger looked at her sternly, and then to Sam. "Understood?" He asked them.

They both nodded in agreement, neither happy to be grounded. If they weren't going to be given any new cases here, they both wanted to be involved in the case with Gibbs' team in DC - especially since it now seemed to involve both of their partners. They would have to make the most of it from here in LA.

* * *

It was well into their Monday afternoon. It had been a slow day so far. McGee glanced over at Tony's empty seat. He wondered how Tony and Detective Deeks were doing. They had been under for a week. They had sent Abby some good information early on. Now things were quiet as they waited to get more involved in the business dealings of Niko. He turned his attention back to his computer. He couldn't focus. He sighed heavily and pushed his chair away from his desk, standing up quickly. Bishop had been watching him and decided to say something.

"You're worried about them, aren't you?"

Her voice startled him. "Oh…uh, yes. Yes, I am. Aren't you?" He asked her in return.

She nodded. "I don't know how they do it," she admitted to him. "That has to be scary pretending to be somebody you're not for days on end."

"They're not pretending, Bishop," Gibbs stated frankly as he appeared out of nowhere. He took a seat at his desk and looked over at her.

"Hey, boss." McGee greeted Gibbs. Jethro nodded in McGee's direction.

Bishop stared at Gibbs, trying to understand what he meant. "So you're saying they are-"

"Not pretending." He said again.

"But that would mean they are…uh, they are doing…?" She couldn't finish her question before Gibbs cut her off.

"They are doing what they have to do to gain control of the situation," Gibbs explained.

She nodded her head slowly. "If that means doing something illegal...?"

Gibbs didn't say anything, just looked at her - raising his eyebrows and giving a slight nod of his head.

She looked at McGee, her eyes wide with surprise. "Wow," she whispered.

Director Vance came down the stairs. At the same time, the elevator door slid open and Gibbs' old FBI buddy Tobias Fornell stepped out, followed by Agent Borin from CGIS. Abby ran in from the other direction. Gibbs looked up at the commotion, surprised to see everyone converging at his desk.

"Gibbs, Abby has some new info Detective Deeks and Agent DiNozzo funneled back to her. Turns out Niko Pellicci is working on hooking up a supply line of drugs to the east coast through his little marina," Leon started explaining.

Gibbs turned to Abby.

She nodded in agreement to what the director had just said and added, "Yeah, Gibbs, it looks like the boat rental is just a cover. Well...not really a cover. It appears that unsuspecting boaters rent the boats, and are given directions on where to refuel. When they stop, not only are they loaded with fuel, drugs are either loaded or unloaded at the same time. The drugs are being moved right under everyone's noses, Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed.

Gibbs smirked, looking at Tobias and Agent Borin. "That explains why you both are here."

"We have another potential problem, Gibbs," Leon began. "Henrietta called and said Agent Callen has called in some time off. Seems he is bound for Washington on a flight due to land within the hour. Detective Deeks seems to have a traveling fan club. The DEA is aware of the situation, as well, and will intercept Callen when he lands. Apparently they have all worked together before and they want in on this case, too. The DEA will corral Callen and bring him in before he can cause any trouble for Deeks and DiNozzo."

Gibbs chuckled. "Sounds like a party."

* * *

Callen buckled his seat belt as his flight neared it's destination. As the plane started it's final approach Callen began going over what he knew about Deeks and Pellicci's prior dealings. It wasn't much, but he assumed it had to do with drugs more than anything - maybe weapons, too. Whatever this new business venture was Niko had started, Callen believed it had something to do with the marina. He would start there. He would watch for Deeks and try to make contact with him somehow.

The plane touched down and taxied up to the gate. Callen grabbed his bag from the overhead storage bin and waited patiently for the passengers in front of him to file out. As his turn came, he exited the plane with the rest of the passengers, making his way down the tunnel to the main terminal. He was just about to step out and grab a taxi when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

"Agent Callen, you're quite away from home, aren't you?" A familiar female voice said.

Callen spun around. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, surprise showing on his face.

"I could ask the same of you, but I think we both know why we're here, don't we?" She said, more a statement than a question.

He didn't reply, not sure what to say.

"You need to come with me, Agent Callen. I have specific orders to bring you to NCIS headquarters for a meeting. If we don't hurry we are going to be late."

Callen wanted to argue the point, but he knew Hetty must have called ahead to warn Director Vance. He sighed and nodded, "Okay, you win. Let's go."

DEA Agent Talia Del Campo smiled at him, "Don't worry, we won't let Deeks have all the fun."

Callen chuckled and followed her, wondering just what the hell Deeks had stumbled on to.

_**TBC**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS: LA, NCIS or any of the characters. **

_**Chapter 12**_

Sam and Kensi sat at their desks quietly filling out paperwork. Neither said a word. Across the Mission Hetty sat at her desk watching her two agents. She knew with OSP not taking on any new cases for the foreseeable future that once they finished their paperwork - whether it be today, tomorrow or the next day - both of them would end up heading to DC regardless of Granger's order. Hetty's phone rang. She picked it up.

"Yes, Mr. Beale, what is it?" She asked, then closed her eyes in frustration, shaking her head slightly. "Uh, huh. I see. I'll be right up, Mr. Beale." She hung up the phone, sighing heavily. She stood and made her way up to Ops.

As Hetty walked upstairs, Sam watched as she went. He glanced over at Kensi, who was focused solely on her laptop just then. He watched Hetty until she was out of sight before speaking very softly.

"Kensi. Pssst, Kensi." She finally looked up at him. "Something is up. Hetty just got a call and went up to Ops."

Kensi looked over her shoulder at Hetty's empty desk before glancing upstairs. "Should we go up and see what's going on? Granger did tell us we could keep track of whatever is happening," she reminded him.

Sam smiled and nodded in agreement. "He did. Let's go," he said as he pushed his chair away from his desk and stood.

Kensi closed her laptop and they walked up to Ops.

* * *

Max and Gordon had just finished setting up another drop when Max felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

"I gotta hit the head," Max said to the two men Niko recruited to run the boat rental.

Gordon looked suspiciously at Max, but Max just turned away and walked to the restroom. He stepped in the stall and pulled his phone out. He checked the text. It was from Abby. _Call ASAP! _He blew out a breath, pocketed his cell and returned to Gordon and the others.

"You guys wait here for the boat to return. Gordon and I have to go talk with Niko."

The men nodded. Max looked at Gordon and motioned for the door. They got in Niko's van and drove away. Before Gordon could ask what they were doing, Max took his cell out and dialed a number.

"This is Max. What is it?" He asked impatiently, knowing if Abby thought it was important enough to send a text to call in, it must be bad news.

"Callen has gone lone wolf. He just got here," Abby said nervously.

"No ferns or seals tagged along?" Max asked. Gordon sat in the passenger seat trying to make sense of the conversation Max and Abby were having.

"Negative. A birdy named Talia picked him up and brought him to the nest," Abby explained. "The natives are getting restless."

"Thanks. For everything," Max said, clearly frustrated. He ended the call and kept driving.

He and Gordon had worked round the clock for the last week convincing Niko to let them in. They were on their way to lining up several big arrests. They just needed a little more time for all the pieces to fall in to place. Niko was rusty in his ways, but still had a lot of pull with some big time bad guys. Max and Gordon knew that the FBI and CGIS were already sniffing around thanks to Abby's heads-up. Now Max knew Callen was in town, and with Talia Del Campo from the DEA of all people! He knew Callen wouldn't purposely sabotage the operation, but not knowing the plan, it would be easy enough for them to blow their covers. The burden of worrying about the other agencies stepping in before they were able to cast the net over all their suspects was great enough without having to worry about Callen and Talia, too.

Gordon looked at Max and finally asked, "How bad is it?"

Max looked at Gordon, "This is about to get ugly. Callen is here and he is with a DEA agent I got partnered with on an investigation a while ago. Abby said the others are getting anxious."

"Time to go dark until we have our ducks in a pretty little row?" Gordon asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Look, if you want to bail I understand. This is what I do. It is what I'm good at," Max/Deeks admitted to Tony as he glanced at him.

"Max, we are brothers. I'm not bailing on you now," Gordon said.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Max nodded once and focused on the road. They would have to be quick, it would only be a day or two at most before all the agencies descended on the marina.

* * *

Granger looked from the screen to Hetty. "What the hell is she doing there, Henrietta?"

Eric and Nell watched as the assistant director stared down their operations manager.

"I can assure you, Owen, that I have no idea what she is doing there or why she approached Mr. Callen," Hetty proclaimed.

The doors to Ops slid open and in walked Kensi and Sam. Eric tried to switch the image on the big screen but it was too late. Kensi had already spotted the DEA agent she despised greatly.

"Where is that, Hetty? Why is Talia with Callen? Please tell me that you did not send that woman after my…after Deeks," Kensi demanded. She looked at Hetty, her eyes wild and angry.

"Ms. Blye, I did not have anything to do with Agent Del Campo being there. We were just trying to figure out ourselves what she is doing," Hetty once again defended herself.

"Eric looked up security footage at the airport, and this is what he found," Nell explained to them. They watched the exchange. There was no sound and they could only see Talia's face.

"Can you make out what she is saying, Kensi?" Sam asked.

Kensi shrugged. "Play it back, Eric. Can you zoom in at all?"

"I can try," he said as he tapped the screen of his tablet.

The video of Callen starts from the beginning. He is heading for the doors when Talia approaches from behind and taps him on the shoulder. Talia's face is partially blocked by Callen, but Kensi caught the end of whatever she said. Kensi spoke 'from home, aren't you'. She continued to focus on Talia. Callen had spun around at this point. 'I could ask the same of'… Eric, can you back it up just a little?" Kensi asked.

Eric nodded and rewound the video. 'I could ask the same of you but we both know why'…Again, Eric?"

Eric backed it up once again. 'I could ask the same of you but we both know why we're here don't we', Kensi relayed.

"G must've asked her what she was doing there," Sam surmised. "Wait, there was more…what did she say right there at the end before they turned away?"

"Back it up one more time, Eric?" Kensi requested. She watched closely. 'You need to come with me Callen – have' something I can't make out 'orders to bring you to NCIS headquarters for a meeting. If we don't hurry, going to be late'. Just then on the video, Talia smiled real big and said something else. Kensi huffed out a breath but didn't say what she read on Talia's lips.

"What was that last part, Kensi?" Sam wanted to know.

Kensi had a pensive look on her face.

"Agent Blye, what did she say?" Granger asked sternly.

Kensi looked at Hetty, then Granger. "She said 'don't worry, we won't let Deeks have all the fun'."

Nell cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. Once they were all looking at her, she spoke, "Eric and I have been in contact with Abby. She has a burn phone and keeps in touch with Deeks and Agent DiNozzo on a daily basis. That is how Gibbs is staying in the loop."

Eric picked up where Nell left off. "Apparently the FBI and CGIS are itching to shut down this op. Some of the players Niko has involved are on their wanted lists. Nobody had been able to pinpoint their whereabouts until Deeks and Tony got involved with Niko. They are pushing Director Vance to let them raid the marina now before Deeks has time to fully set up the op to get to the top of the food chain."

Sam and Kensi were putting all the pieces together. "Callen and Talia are going to get involved and they're all going to blow Deeks' op before he can reel the big fish in," Sam commented.

"Gibbs is throwing his support to Deeks, but the director is getting grief from SECNAV to play nice with the other agencies." Nell added.

"How long before FBI and CGIS move in?" Kensi asked, a sick feeling washing over her.

"24 - maybe 48 hours at the most. Abby said she just talked to Deeks and warned him that Callen and Talia were in town, now, too," Nell answered.

"Is there anything she can do to hold them off?" Sam queried.

Eric jumped in. "She's trying to use the boat rental schedule as an excuse for the moment since there are innocent civilians involved, but that is how they are moving the drugs - it will only slow them down for so long."

"Wait, this is all about drugs?" Kensi spat. "No wonder Talia is sniffing around after De…" she didn't finish her thought, realizing she was sounding a bit too possessive of her partner. She glanced at Sam, who gave her an understanding smile.

"Hetty, you've got to let us go to DC." Sam stated. Kensi nodded in agreement.

Before Hetty could speak, Granger shook his head. "No. Agent Hanna, Agent Blye, you will not leave LA. Agent Gibbs and his team have this under control."

"Clearly they don't if the FBI and CGIS won't hold off the raid. If they move in now, they risk getting Deeks and Agent DiNozzo hurt and potentially let some major players get away," Sam argued.

"If we go, we can at least back Deeks up...have a couple extra sets of eyes on him and Tony to keep them safe," Kensi reasoned.

"They're right, Owen," Hetty finally said. "You know they are."

Granger sighed, dropping his gaze to the floor. After a few moments, he huffed out a breath and looked at Hetty. "You realize these two are a major pain in my ass, Henrietta?" Motioning to Sam and Kensi.

Hetty smiled slightly before replying, "Yes, well...I'd like to think we all are, Owen." Hetty turned to Sam, Kensi, Eric and Nell - who were all trying hard to conceal their smiles.

Granger stared them all down. He shook his head slightly before conceding, "Fine. But you'll go on my terms - and I'm coming with you."

Kensi and Sam both looked shocked. "What... You're coming with us?" Kensi asked incredulously.

Sam looked to Hetty, a look of desperation on his face. "Come on, really? Hetty, tell him we don't need him to hold our hands." Sam pleaded.

Granger held up his hand. "If you go, I go, end of discussion. And we don't go until tomorrow. I have a couple things I need to take care of before I leave town. Got it?" He asked them.

They both looked to Hetty, then back to Granger. They sighed in unison and agreed to the terms offered by their assistant director.

* * *

Later that evening Max and Gordon had devised a plan on throwing off their own back-up in Gibbs, as well as the FBI and CGIS. It may only buy them a few extra days, but that may be all they would need for the final pieces of their puzzle to fall into place. Once they told Niko they had "discovered" they were about to be raided, it took no time at all for Niko to call in a few favors.

* * *

Sam and Kensi were at their desks in the bullpen going over their options for when they would arrive in DC. It was Tuesday morning, they could not get on the plane soon enough as far as they were concerned.

"Ms. Blye? Mr. Hanna? I need you to come up to Ops right now," Hetty spoke, her voice full of anguish.

The agents looked at each other, worry on both their faces. It was not like Hetty to seem so on edge. They jumped from their chairs and ran up the stairs quickly. When they stepped into Ops it only took a moment for Kensi to have a flashback to her nightmare from the week before. There stood Hetty looking at the big screen. Eric was staring in disbelief, his face pale. Nell saw Kensi and came running, just like in the nightmare, and gave Kensi a hug. Kensi's stomach knotted and for a moment she thought she may vomit right there on the spot.

Sam looked to the screen and then to Eric. "What is it, Eric?" Sam asked.

Eric continued to stare at the picture on the screen. It was the marina. He didn't acknowledge Sam.

"Eric!" Sam barked.

That was enough to grab Eric's attention. He jumped at his name as Sam looked at him impatiently. "Uh, sorry. What, um...what did you say?" Eric asked, looking very confused.

"I said what is it? What are we looking at?" Sam asked again. Kensi and Nell joined Hetty, Sam and Eric in front of the screen.

"I've been tapped into the security cams in the area of the marina. I was watching video from just a little while ago. Um...we haven't heard anything officially yet from DC." Eric once again looked to the screen.

Sam and Kensi both were becoming very irritated. "Eric, what is going on?" Kensi asked through clenched teeth. Fear gripped her to the core.

"Play the video, Mr. Beale," Hetty said softly.

Eric looked at his tablet and nodded. He tapped at it and looked back to the big screen. "Deeks, Agent DiNozzo, Niko and his wife, Allasyn, along with a couple of his associates all arrived at the marina a short time ago. This is what happened moments after they entered the building."

They all watched as Niko's van and another car pulled into the lot. Everyone stood outside the vehicles for a minute or two. It looked as if they were having a small meeting. Soon they all headed for the entrance at the front. Niko opened the door and held it as everyone filed in one after the other. Deeks and Tony were the last in line. They motioned for Niko to go ahead of them. He stepped in and disappeared. Tony and Deeks glanced back out towards the road before disappearing from sight themselves.

Several seconds later Kensi and Sam looked at each other, both confused as to what the big deal was. Before either of them could ask, though, the marina erupted in a huge fireball. Debris rained down as a massive black cloud of smoke billowed high above the raging fire that ensued.

"Deeks," Sam whispered. He turned to Kensi. Her eyes were wide, her arms held open, as if asking why. She sensed Sam looking at her and returned his gaze.

"Oh my God, Sam... Deeks, he...you don't think he... No, he can't be gone, Sam. They can't be gone, can they? Eric? Is that real? Hetty?" Kensi was visibly shaking now. Sam reached out to her, pulling her into a tight hug. Her whole body vibrated. "Um... Sam, let me...let me go, Sam. I'm gonna be sick."

He let loose of her and she ran out of Ops, her hands covering her mouth.

"Miss Jones?" Hetty looked to her analyst. Nell wiped at her eyes as Hetty glanced in the direction Kensi had gone. Nell tipped her head in understanding and went to check on Kensi.

"Mr. Beale, anything you can find out about that building, I want to know as soon as possible." Hetty turned to Sam, "Mr. Hanna, I want you to call Mr. Callen. If he doesn't answer, find Ms. Del Campo's number and try it. Let them know what happened. Find out if they were aware of it or if they've heard anything from Mr. Deeks. I'm going to call Director Vance."

"You don't think they were in the building when it blew, do you, Hetty?" Sam asked, sensing that Hetty knew something - or at the very least suspected something.

Hetty gave Sam a curious look. "We can only hope, Mr. Hanna. It does seem odd to me, however, that out of the blue that marina would be targeted. We have had eyes on it for the better part of a week and nothing suspicious has occurred. If Ms. Sciuto told Mr. Deeks his operation was in danger of being shut down..." She looked at Sam, not finishing her thought.

Sam's eyes lit up, a slight grin appearing. "He would do what he had to do to see it through to the end. This is a distraction to throw off the dogs."

She nodded once in agreement, then turned to make her call to Vance. Sam pulled out his cell and dialed Callen, his mind a little more at ease now as he hoped what Hetty suggested was true.

_**TBC**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing NCIS or NCIS:LA – just playing with my favorite characters. **

**Chapter 13**

Max and Gordon stepped inside the marina and ran for the back, towards the river. Niko's men were already waiting at the hidden exit. Niko had gone ahead of his wife and was just motioning for the men to open the door when Allasyn pulled a gun from her pocket. She calmly aimed at the three men and pulled the trigger, shooting before Max or Gordon could stop her.

They looked at each other, both shocked at what had just happened. Knowing the place was going to blow at any second, they pushed her forward through the door, saving their questions for later. They had no time for discussion. Max glanced back to see that one of the men struggled to follow, the fear and pain clear in his eyes. Blood ran from a hole in his chest. As Max turned to run after Gordon and Allasyn he heard the man collapse.

As they weaved along the brush at the back of the marina, the front of the building was disintegrating in a massive blast. They jumped onto the covered pier and ran the last few feet to the cabin cruiser Max had checked out when he first approached Niko's marina a week ago. The marina was fully engulfed in flames now; the heat was almost unbearable even from their vantage point. Gordon untied the rope from the mooring post as Max keyed the twin inboard engines. They sputtered to life. Both were keeping an eye on Allasyn and were relieved to see that she had put her gun away.

The fire continued to grow as the billowing black cloud started to drift in the gentle breeze. Max let the cruiser idle away from the roaring remnants of the marina, letting the current take them downstream. Once they had drifted a good distance from the fire Max accelerated, leaving the inferno behind. Feeling they were far enough away to avoid drawing attention, Max finally felt comfortable enough to address Allasyn.

"What the hell was that all about? You shot Niko!" He yelled at her.

She shrugged. "I did Niko a favor." Max and Gordon both looked at her, confused. She sighed before continuing, "Niko was keeping a secret from you. He had cancer. It was terminal. He would have been dead in a few months anyway. The other two - it just wasn't their day," Allasyn explained, not the least bit remorseful. "Besides, if you wanted to make people think we were killed in the fire, doesn't it make sense to leave at least a few bodies for them to find?"

Gordon chuckled. "Wow, Allasyn, look at you being all cunning and stuff," he grinned, looking at her. "She does have a point," Gordon admitted, turning to Max.

Max, even though he was pissed at the turn of events, had to hand it to her. He slowly smiled and nodded. Allasyn was feeling pretty proud of herself. She was growing very fond of Max and Gordon. Now that she was free from her overprotective husband, she looked forward to getting closer to both the Gentry brothers.

* * *

Sam dialed Callen's cell again. This was the third time and still there was no answer. "Eric, can you locate G's phone?" He asked.

Eric punched the keys on his tablet. "Uh...Sam? You're not going to like this."

"Not going to like what, Eric?" Sam asked, frustration in his voice.

"Callen's phone is here in the building." Eric admitted, looking away from Sam.

"Get me Talia's number." Sam ordered. It didn't surprise him that his partner would have left his phone behind.

"Not so fast, Mr. Hanna," Hetty declared as she reappeared in ops. Sam spun to look at her. "I just spoke with Leon. He is not too happy about the attention this case is drawing from the other agencies, as well as from your partner. He was unaware of the explosion at the marina. He is sending Jethro and his team to investigate. I told him our suspicion of it being a distraction by Mr. Deeks. He agreed that we should let it play out - unless, of course, it turns out it wasn't a distraction," Hetty said softly.

Sam gave her a questioning glance. "You mean let Callen and the others assume everyone was killed in the blast? Hetty, that's pretty harsh, don't you think?"

"Mr. Hanna, unfortunately we don't know for sure that's not actually the case. We also both know Mr. Deeks will not give up on the operation. If he is still alive, don't you think it would be wise if we trust him to do the job Jethro gave him?"

Sam sighed, realizing what Hetty was getting at. "If we step in and get involved, we'll be pushing him further away from us...again."

The small operations manager smiled slightly at her senior agent.

"We let Kensi know our theory, though, right?" Sam asked worriedly. He knew if Deeks was alive and they let Kensi believe he had been killed that she may not forgive them, ever.

Hetty reached out and patted Sam on the arm, "Of course, Mr. Hanna. She's been through enough already. Just pray we are right and not giving her a false sense of hope."

Sam nodded, "I'll talk to her. Thanks, Hetty."

"Once you talk to Ms. Blye, then you could try Agent Del Campo and see what they are saying. I imagine Leon has Jethro and his team on site by now," Hetty directed, then turned to Eric. "Mr. Beale, any luck with the marina yet?"

"I sent the blueprints on file to your email, I'm combing through all the footage we have from the security cams, and I'll call in a favor with a friend to check any recent satellite coverage of the area," he said, happy that he was able to procure the building plans so quickly.

"Good work." She turned and left Ops.

* * *

"Gibbs, can I see you for a moment?" Director Vance called down to his agent.

"Sure, Leon." Jethro stood and started for the stairs.

McGee watched his boss disappear upstairs before looking over at Bishop, both raising their eyebrows in wonder.

DEA Agent Del Campo and Callen stood at Gibbs' desk. They had all been talking about the case when Director Vance called Gibbs up to his office.

Gibbs stepped into Vance's office, not saying anything. He studied Leon's eyes.

Vance looked to the empty chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat, Gibbs."

Jethro smirked, reached out and pulled the chair out and sat down. "What's going on, Leon?"

"I just received a call from Ms. Lange. Apparently the marina Detective Deeks and Agent DiNozzo are working out of went up in flames a little while ago. Eric Beale was watching a live feed on a security camera. Deeks, DiNozzo, Pellicci and a few others had just disappeared inside when the place exploded. I checked, fire crews are still trying to get it under control. It might be a while before you can go through what is left, but I want you to see what you can find," Vance directed.

Gibbs nodded and stood up.

"Gibbs," the director continued.

"Yeah, Leon?" Gibbs asked impatiently, staring at the director.

"Henrietta has a theory. She thinks Deeks is trying to throw off Fornell, Borin, Callen and this DEA agent. This explosion is a diversion to buy him some time to close this case." Vance looked Gibbs in the eye, making sure he was getting his point across. Jethro smiled and nodded. "Unless you find evidence that says otherwise, let everyone come to their own conclusions, Gibbs."

Gibbs walked to the door and turned, "What did I tell you would happen if we let him run this his way?"

Leon didn't say anything right away, but eventually a smile broke out on his face, albeit a small one. "You said he'd get results, Gibbs, which we don't have just yet. But point taken." With that, Leon looked back to his monitor.

Gibbs smiled, then turned and pulled Vance's door closed behind him as he walked back to his team.

* * *

Nell walked back into ops with a visibly shaken Kensi right beside her. Eric looked at them, feeling bad for both that they had missed the revelation Hetty had about the situation. He hoped for everyone's sake that they were correct - that Deeks was creating a diversion to throw off the FBI, CGIS and Callen along with Talia.

Sam looked at Kensi. He understood how she felt. Even though she and Deeks were not officially a couple, they were partners in every sense of the word, they just hadn't accepted it yet themselves. He could tell that right now she felt completely lost.

"Kensi," he said softly.

She didn't respond, just kept staring at the floor in front of her. He glanced at Eric and then Nell, Eric nodded and pulled Nell to the side so they could talk.

Sam reached out and put a hand on Kensi's shoulder. "Kensi, you okay?"

She looked up at Sam with her mismatched eyes. Her look said it all. She shook her head and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

Sam wanted to reassure her right away to bring her out of this funk she was caught in. "Hey, while you were out Hetty and I were talking. She pointed out that this explosion may be Deeks' way of throwing everyone off his trail. Think about it. We all know how..._determined_ your partner can be. If he sees a way to bring down all the players, don't you think this is a stunt he would pull to do just that?" He asked her.

As Sam explained what he and Hetty had discussed, Kensi stood a little straighter as she started to realize they could be right. "You really think he's still alive - that this is a big distraction?" Kensi asked hopefully.

"It's the only thing I want to believe. The other alternative is not acceptable," Sam stated with conviction. "I'll never underestimate Deeks again. If anybody could pull this off, it would be him."

Kensi stared at the senior agent in awe, a smile spreading across her face. "Yeah, he is pretty amazing, isn't he?"

Sam nodded at her and smiled.

"This is how we play it, though. We can't tell Callen our theory. If Deeks is still alive, we are going to give him every advantage we can from our end to do his job." Sam said seriously.

Kensi cocked her head in thought. "Okay...but what if they think the same thing we are?"

"We can't do anything about that if they do. Then we hope Deeks gave himself and Agent DiNozzo enough time to do what they gotta do," Sam offered. Kensi pursed her lips, nodding in agreement.

"Deeks." Kensi said the detective's name softly. She looked at Sam intently. As much as she wanted to believe that Deeks was still alive, she was scared to death that he was...dead. "What if he-" she started to say, but Sam cut her off.

"No, Kensi, don't go there. Think positive. Deeks would do the same for you," Sam reasoned with her. "In fact, he DID do that for you, Kensi. We all did," he pointed out.

Kensi looked away from Sam when he said that, knowing full well the time he was talking about. She tried to block the memory out, but a few tears started to fall anyway. Sam pulled her into a big hug. "It's okay, Kensi. Everything is gonna be okay," he assured her.

* * *

"Grab your gear, let's go!" Gibbs said as he walked back to his desk. He grabbed his keys and gun out of his drawer. "Callen, you two coming with us?" He looked at G and Talia.

"Uh...where are we going, boss?" McGee asked. Bishop threw her bag over her shoulder and waited on Gibbs' answer.

Callen and Talia stared at Gibbs, too. Gibbs looked around at each one of them and then started for the elevator. "The marina Detective Deeks and Agent DiNozzo have been working at exploded this morning. Several people, including Marty and Tony, were seen entering the building right before it blew up," Gibbs called out over his shoulder.

They all looked at each other, each one of them as shocked as the next at Gibbs' explanation. Without a word, they all hurried after him.

It started out as a quiet drive. Gibbs and McGee rode up front, while Talia, G and Bishop sat in back. Talia finally had had enough silence.

"Do you think they're dead, Agent Callen?" She asked.

"I don't know," G looked at her, the tension showing in his expression.

Silence again. "McGee, what did Abby have to say? Did she hear anything from Marty or Tony today?" Bishop asked.

Tim turned in his seat to speak. "Abby said she hasn't heard anything since yesterday when she told them about-" Before he could finish his thought he saw Gibbs glance his way quickly. "Uh...told them about..." McGee was suddenly at a loss for words. He knew by the look Gibbs gave him that he was saying too much in mixed company.

"Told them about what?" Callen asked, feeling like something was being held back from Talia and him.

Gibbs jumped in to save Tim. "Abby told them about the leads panning out that we received from Niko's men." Jethro gave McGee a quick glare as he focused back on the road.

Callen wasn't sure, but he thought Gibbs wasn't being truthful with him, although he couldn't understand why. He looked at Talia. She shook her head and by the look she gave him he knew she sensed it, too. Before either of them could question it, Bishop pointed out the front of the car.

"Wow, look at that," she said.

They were still a couple miles away from the marina, yet the sky in that direction was still filled with clouds of drifting smoke. Any further conversation was cut off as they approached the scene, all wondering what had become of Detective Deeks and Agent DiNozzo.

Gibbs rolled his window down and flashed his badge to one of the local policemen who had his cruiser blocking the road. The officer waved them around. Jethro drove as far as he could and finally had to stop. The road was clogged with fire hoses snaking from pumpers, firemen, rescue trucks, and numerous police cars and ambulances. The five of them made their way through the maze until they were standing in front of what was left of the marina. Most of the fire was extinguished and the smoke was thinning. Several firemen were retrieving hoses, some were still dousing hot spots, while others were poking at debris with hooked poles. Niko's van and a car hadn't escaped the flames, both parked close enough to the building that they, too, had been reduced to distorted metal hulks.

The air was acrid, most all the firemen were wearing masks. It was getting hard to breathe, the agents' eyes and throats starting to sting. They walked back towards the road and waited for things to clear. It wasn't long before they heard someone yell they had located a body. Soon after that, another was found. They all looked at each other, fearing the worst. Gibbs pulled his cell out and called Director Vance. Bishop had her phone in her hand. Callen noticed she had pulled a picture up on screen. It was Deeks. Bishop stared at the photo and then dialed a number she had hoped she wouldn't have to call, but she had made a promise. Callen looked to Talia. Just then her phone started to ring. She showed the number to Callen. It was a number he knew by heart.

"Sam." He said to her.

She nodded and swiped the screen to answer. "Agent Del Campo."

* * *

"Talia! This is Agent Sam Hanna. Are you with Callen?" Sam all but yelled into his phone.

Kensi was anxious to hear what Sam and Callen talked about, but she felt her phone going off in her pocket and quickly pulled it out. She froze when she saw the number; it was Ellie Bishop's. Panic set in as her phone continued to vibrate in her hand. Sam's conversation had faded to background noise. She slowly pulled her phone up to her ear as she answered the call.

"This is Kensi."

Sam was questioning Callen, who was telling him that they were on scene at the marina, that two bodies had just been discovered and crews were looking for more. Sam looked over to Kensi, who was staring at a spot on the wall across Ops. She nodded slowly to something that was said on the other end of her line. Her eyes were glistening again. She avoided eye contact with Sam when she noticed him watching her.

Eric and Nell glanced at each other, wondering what each of the agents were being told. Sam had a discouraged look on his face while Kensi looked as if she was going to cry at any second. A screen in front of Eric started flashing, drawing his and Nell's attention away from their team. He tapped a few keys and then stared in disbelief at the sight in front of him. His eyes grew wide and he started to smile. He bumped Nell's shoulder and pointed to the screen. She saw what he was looking at and grinned. They watched in silence, forgetting about the conversations going on behind them for the time being.

* * *

"Kensi, this is Ellie Bishop. Um...Marty wanted me to tell you..." Ellie paused, not sure how to proceed. "We are at the marina and they are finding bodies." The words flew out of her mouth before she could really think about it. She sighed as she heard Kensi gasp on the other end. Before she said another word, she heard a rescue worker holler they had a third body. "Oh, God. Kensi, they uh...they just found another body. I'm so sorry!" Ellie's voice was breaking, it was all she could do to keep from completely losing it. She took a deep breath and continued, "Uh, Marty wanted me to give you a message if something happened to him. He said to tell you he was sorry he couldn't keep his promise." Ellie heard Kensi sniffle, but she didn't reply. "He said you would know what he meant. He also said to tell you that he loved you, Kensi."

* * *

Back in Ops, Sam had hung up with Callen when Eric got his attention and made him look at the big screen. Sam shook his head as a huge smile appeared on his face. He turned to Kensi and noticed that she was trying hard not to cry but failing. He tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the screen as Eric rewound the video. She looked at Sam, tears falling freely now, wondering what it was that he wanted that could possibly be more important than this phone call she was on.

The video started playing again. It was a grainy feed, but clear enough to see the three people run down the pier from the bushes at the back of an exploding building and jump on a boat. Agent DiNozzo untied it as a brunette woman stood watching. Detective Marty Deeks was at the helm. The boat slowly drifted away from the pier and disappeared out of reach of the camera's view.

Kensi wiped at her eyes as she looked from the screen to Sam and back again. "Ellie, I have to go." She cut Bishop's call off. She smiled as she watched the screen again. Marty Deeks had kept his promise - and he loved her.

_**TBC**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Without a Trace**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with NCIS or NCIS:LA – just playing with my favorite characters. **

**Chapter 14**

"Mr. Callen, it's been two weeks. Ms. Blye and Mr. Hanna need you to come home so we can get back to work," Hetty implored her senior agent.

Callen argued, "Hetty, I am not coming back to LA without Deeks."

"Listen to Henrietta. If Detective Deeks and Agent DiNozzo wanted your help don't you think they would have asked by now?" Granger asked before continuing, "Let me explain something to you, Agent Callen. Deeks knew the FBI and CGIS wanted to shut his op down before he and DiNozzo had a chance to set everything up. He was also told that you and DEA Agent Del Campo were in town right after you landed. The next morning the marina was blown up. Deeks has gone dark since then. He had been in contact with Gibbs' team every day up until that point. Deeks does not need you. Take the hint, Callen, and get your ass back here to LA. That is a direct order." Granger scowled into the screen.

Callen glared from Granger to Hetty on the screen in MTAC before turning to Gibbs and Director Vance, who stood and listened to the exchange. They said nothing to back him up. Gibbs grinned, that was all.

"Pack your bags, Agent Callen. Go home. As soon as we have news on them we will let you all know," Director Vance said calmly.

As badly as he disagreed, Callen knew he had to return to LA. There was nothing he could do here in DC. Whatever game Deeks was playing to keep him or the others from getting involved, the detective was winning. Callen had to admit it, Deeks was good. He got the feeling that as soon as he left DC Deeks would resurface.

"Fine. Deeks wins. I'll be on the next flight home." Callen declared.

"Good to know, Mr. Callen…good to know." Callen chuckled at the irony of Hetty using Deeks' words he so often spoke. He couldn't help but think she said them on purpose. He shook his head and turned to leave MTAC, Gibbs following him.

As soon as Callen and Gibbs were gone Hetty asked, "You've known all along where Mr. Deeks was, haven't you, Leon?"

Vance raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin on his face. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't know where all of my agents were, now would I, Henrietta?"

"Agents, Leon?" Hetty asked as a puzzled look came over her. "Is there something I should know?"

Director Vance smiled before glancing at and nodding to Granger, "We'll be in touch, Henrietta." Vance looked off screen and drew his hand across his neck. The screen in LA went black.

Hetty sighed and lowered her head, shaking it slightly. She looked up at Eric, "Call Ms. Blye and Mr. Hanna up, will you Mr. Beale?"

Eric jumped up and went to corral Sam and Kensi. Nell watched curiously as Granger and Hetty stood there, both silent for the time being. The operations manager did not like being kept out of the loop, which is exactly how she felt right now after hearing Vance's comment.

Hetty looked at the assistant director suspiciously. "Do you know what is going on with Mr. Deeks, Owen? I do not like surprises, you know that."

Granger didn't respond right away, he just stood there looking at Henrietta. Finally he sighed, a small grin on his face. "Let's wait for everyone to get up here and then I'll bring you all up to speed on Deeks' status."

A few moments later the door to ops slid open and Eric reappeared, Kensi and Sam in tow. Both agents had concerned looks on their faces. Hetty spoke quickly to alleviate their worries.

"Mr. Deeks is fine. Owen is about to give us a status update on him. Apparently there is more going on with him than we are aware of, isn't that right, Owen?" Hetty gave Granger a defiant glare, and then continued, "Also, Mr. Callen will be on the next flight back to LA."

Sam and Kensi glanced at each other, neither said anything. Both were anxious to hear what Granger had to say about Deeks, although they were happy to know Callen was on his way back.

The assistant director waited for everyone to settle into their spots before starting. "As you all know, Detective Deeks and Agent DiNozzo did survive the blast at the marina, along with who was later determined to be Niko Pellicci's wife, Allasyn. In fact, it was Deeks and Niko who were responsible for the fire. It was later determined that it was two of Niko's associates and Niko himself who were found in the rubble. They had been shot prior to the fire."

Sam interrupted, "How do you know that?" He asked, a confused look on his face. Kensi looked between Sam and Granger, very interested in any information that was to be divulged regarding her partner.

"Dr. Mallard, NCIS' chief medical examiner confirmed it. We also know that from the statements Deeks and DiNozzo gave Director Vance. According to them, Allasyn Pellicci shot her husband and the other two right after they entered the building that morning." Granger explained.

"Wait, you mean to tell us Deeks hasn't been missing the last couple of weeks?" Kensi asked angrily.

Granger smirked, "Calm down Agent Blye. He stayed hidden while he and DiNozzo continued working their charm on Pellicci's wife and their contacts. The FBI and CGIS agreed to back off in exchange for running a joint op with Deeks and DiNozzo leading the charge. Their only condition was that they did not want who they saw as a rogue LAPD detective running the show. To that end, SECNAV and Director Vance waived training for Detective Deeks. Due to his time served as liaison for OSP, his contributions to the team in LA and his ability to close Gibbs' case in DC, among other things - he has been cleared and fully accepted as an agent with NCIS."

Granger let that sink in for a moment. Sam was beaming. Kensi had a surprised, albeit pleasant look on her face. Eric and Nell shared a knowing glance before turning their attention to Hetty. She stood there expressionless for a few seconds. Slowly, the corners of her mouth turned up into a full blown smile and her eyes twinkled.

"Finally, Mr. Deeks." She spoke softly as she clasped her hands to her chest.

"I'm happy for Deeks, but I'm confused. How did they keep G from getting involved – and how did Deeks know the FBI and CGIS agreed to a joint op?" Sam asked curiously.

The assistant director chuckled. "Well, it seems that Gibbs has taken a shine to Deeks, so he ran interference for him to keep Callen in the dark," Granger said, much to everyone's surprise.

Hetty shook her head in disbelief. "Oh my, Mr. Callen will not be happy with Jethro when he finds that out. He and Jethro go back many years."

Sam and Kensi both laughed. "Maybe we better not tell G that part," Sam joked. "But that still doesn't explain how Deeks knew about Fornell and Borin wanting to cooperate," Sam continued, looking to Granger for clarification.

"It was a couple days after the marina burned. Abby received a text from an unknown number on the phone Deeks had given her when he first went after Niko. Agent DiNozzo, Deeks and Abby all stayed in touch constantly, up until the marina explosion, anyway. They really did go off the grid the first couple days after the fire. Eventually Deeks wanted to let Abby know they were alright. He figured by then that Dr. Mallard would have figured out who the victims of the fire were and who was missing. By then Deeks had his op back on track. It was then that Fornell and Borin came on board."

"So where is Deeks now? When is he coming back? He is coming back, right?" Kensi asked, her stomach in knots. She was excited that Deeks was now NCIS and that LAPD would no longer be able to pull him away for undercover ops. Now she was worried he would stay in DC with Gibbs' team.

"He is still in DC at an undisclosed location. According to Director Vance they are close to closing the case. From what I'm told, they have uncovered a huge ring dealing in drugs, weapons and murder for hire. Some of the players are on the FBI's most wanted list. They are tickled pink. CGIS and DEA are both excited to have these guys out of commission, as well," Granger reported. He looked at Kensi, "I can't speak for Agent Deeks, Blye. I don't know what his plans are. Gibbs has made it clear he wants him on his team. Once this op is over Deeks knows he has a choice to make," the assistant director admitted.

Kensi could only nod, understanding that Deeks' skills would be highly sought after. She had to hope that her partner would decide to return to her, to the team.

* * *

Days later in DC, McGee, Bishop, and Gibbs sat at their desks. Abby stood by Tony's desk while Director Vance leaned against the railing above and looked down on his team. Dr. Mallard and Jimmy walked in and stood by McGee's desk. All of them watched the elevator door anxiously. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the door slid open. Agent Fornell stepped out, followed by Agent Borin. Abby could hardly contain her excitement, she bounced up and down like a little kid as Tony and Marty stepped off the elevator side by side. They smiled when they saw the team watching them. As McGee, Bishop and the others stood and clapped, Abby launched herself at the two men she had backed up via burn phone for the last several weeks.

"Oh my gosh! Tony, Marty...I'm so, so glad you guys are back safe!" She hugged them both tight.

"Hey, Abs, it's great to see you, too!" Tony exclaimed.

Marty gave her his crooked grin, "Abby, I can't thank you enough for what you did for me...for us." Marty glanced at Tony.

"Awe, it was my pleasure. Thank you for trusting me to help, Agent Deeks." Abby smiled as she said it, holding up her hand for a high-five. Deeks slapped her hand and held it as he looked her in the eyes, trying to convey to her his genuine appreciation for her help. She teared up, understanding the meaning behind his look and touch.

McGee walked up and shook Tony's hand. "It's good to have you back, Tony."

"Thanks, Tim. Its good to be back," Tony smiled.

Abby had let go of Deeks finally and stepped back so McGee could talk to him.

"Marty, good to see you again. Great job out there," McGee said as he shook Deeks' hand.

Deeks smiled at him. "Thanks, good to see you, too."

Ellie had been speaking with Tony as Abby and McGee kept Deeks busy. Now she stepped up to Deeks and held out her hand awkwardly. He looked down at her and took her hand, a smile on his face. "Hi, Ellie Bishop," he said.

Bishop grinned, "Hi, Marty Deeks. Um...I'm glad you guys are alive," she started off. Marty looked at her, not following her. "We, uh...at first, we thought you and Tony were...you know, in the fire," she explained. "I want to apologize." She blushed.

Deeks looked at her, tilting his head in wonder. "Apologize? For what?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"I may or may not have called Kensi and delivered your message like I promised. Yeah...um, I did. Like I said...we thought-"

Deeks cut her off with a laugh. "It's okay. Really. Yeah, okay...well this will be awkward when I show up in LA, huh?" He cracked.

Everybody spent time congratulating Deeks and DiNozzo on a job well done. The FBI, CGIS and DEA, along with NCIS had brought down one of the biggest rings on the east coast, with several highly hunted suspects now behind bars. Gibbs sat at his desk, allowing his agents to visit and enjoy the moment. Fornell and Borin approached him.

"Those two make quite a team, Gibbs." Fornell pointed at Tony and Deeks.

Borin added, "Any chance Deeks would be interested in a position with CGIS?"

Gibbs shook his head, "Nah, I think Marty will head back to LA."

"What the hell, Jethro? You don't want him?" Fornell asked incredulously.

"I didn't say that, Tobias," Gibbs stated, knowing Deeks would go home.

Eventually Fornell and Borin said their goodbyes and left. The team were still chatting by Tony's desk. Gibbs watched them, a slight grin on his face. He glanced up and noticed Vance still standing at the railing. Leon saw that Gibbs was looking his way. Their eyes locked. Vance smiled and nodded his head once before turning and heading back to his office. Gibbs chuckled as he reached in his drawer and pulled out his keys. It was time to call it a day.

The next morning Gibbs returned to find his team whole again. McGee and Bishop sat at their desks. Tony sat at his, furiously scrolling through weeks of email. Deeks stood next to Gibbs' desk, his bag sitting at his feet. Director Vance was on his way down. Abby came up from behind Deeks to stand next to him.

"Hey, boss," Tony called out. Gibbs nodded at him and smiled.

Jethro walked up to Deeks. Marty looked at him, a smirk on his face. Gibbs sat his coffee down on his desk. Deeks held out his hand. Gibbs took it. "The offer still stands...Agent Marty Deeks."

Deeks' eyes lit up and he laughed, then he got a serious look on his face. "Thanks, Gibbs. I really need to get back to LA - but thank you. For everything."

Gibbs nodded and patted Deeks on the shoulder. "Take care, Marty," he said before taking a seat at his desk.

Abby pulled Deeks into another hug. "I'm going to miss you, Agent Martin Andrew Deeks. Don't be a stranger!"

Marty looked at her, "I promise, Abs. You either. My offer for surfing lessons still stands," he told her, a grin on his face.

"I'm going to hold you to that, mister." She pointed at him. He waved to her as she turned to go back to her lab.

McGee stood and reached across his desk, shaking Deeks hand. "It's been a pleasure to work with you, Marty. We're all going to miss you here."

"Likewise, Tim. If it hadn't been for you and Abs I don't know how we would have pulled it off." Deeks claimed.

Marty turned to find Director Vance standing there. He smiled at the director and extended his hand. Vance grabbed it and shook, but didn't let go. The director placed his other hand on Deeks' shoulder and squeezed. "Welcome aboard, Agent Deeks. We hate to see you leave DC, but I'm glad you are officially ours now. I took care of the details with Lieutenant Bates at LAPD. Needless to say, he was not happy, but he understood."

"Thank you, sir," Deeks nodded. Vance nodded back, gave his hand and shoulder a final squeeze and then let go.

"Have a safe trip back to LA, Agent Deeks," the director offered as he turned to head back to his office. He walked past Tony's desk and smiled at DiNozzo as he went by.

Ellie Bishop came up to Deeks and surprised him by giving him a hug. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Marty. Congrats on becoming an agent," she said as she stepped back from him.

"Thank you, Ellie. It was nice meeting you, too. And thanks... you know, for thinking we had died and making that call," he teased. She blushed as she stepped back to her desk. "You know I'm not gonna let you live that down, right?" He continued. She sat down and just grinned at him.

Deeks took a few steps as Tony stood and came out from behind his desk. The two men stood face to face. They looked at each other, neither sure what to say. They had been through hell and back over the last few weeks. Granted, neither suffered any major injuries - but their lives had been at risk every second they were undercover - much of it done by the seat of their pants. They had done and seen things they weren't proud of. It was nothing that they hadn't done before - but to work so closely with someone you were not familiar with put a great deal of strain on them. The level of trust that they built over their time together was undeniable and unbreakable. Tony stuck his hand out. Deeks looked down at it and then took it in his. He looked back to Tony. Tony pulled him into a hug.

"It was an honor to work with you, Marty. Welcome to NCIS," Tony said softly as he stepped back and looked at Deeks. "Thank you." Tony let go of Marty's hand.

Deeks looked at him, unclear on why DiNozzo had thanked him.

"What...what are you thanking me for, Tony?" Deeks asked.

Tony chuckled, but then got serious again. "For being a great partner. For showing me how a real undercover agent works. For getting us back here not only alive, but in one piece." Tony explained.

Deeks shook his head. "No, Tony. Thank you... for all the same reasons, and more." Tony smiled. Deeks turned to everyone, noticing they had all been paying attention to their exchange. "Thank all of you, actually," Deeks said, a serious look on his face. "Thanks for accepting me and making me feel welcome right from the very start. I won't forget it." The team all smiled at him. Deeks nodded. "I have a plane to catch, guys. Take care."

He walked to the elevator, as the door slid open he looked back one last time and waved before stepping out of sight.

* * *

Kensi sat on her couch, a cold beer on the coffee table and a tub of Rocky Road in her lap. She grabbed her remote and switched the channel. The new season of America's Next Top Model, her favorite show, started in a few minutes. She wasn't as excited about it as she usually was. Her partner should be there to watch it with her. She took a bite of ice cream, remembering all the times she and Deeks had wagered on which model would win. She sighed and took another bite. Even her ice cream didn't taste as good as it should. She sat the tub down on the table next to her beer. She sat back and stared at the TV. Suddenly there was a knock at her door. It startled her and she jumped. She looked at the door, wondering if she had imagined it. Nope, there it was again, a little more forceful than the first time. She hopped off the couch and went to the door. She peeked out the blinds, what she saw made her gasp. She threw the door open.

"Deeks? Oh my God, Deeks! What are...what are you doing here?" She stared at him in awe.

Deeks checked his watch. "Well, Princess, America's Next Top Model starts in two minutes. You didn't think I'd miss it, did you?" He deadpanned. He tilted his head to one side, waiting for her reply. He was confused when he noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. "Kens? Are you okay? What's uh...what's wrong?" He knew he had taken her by surprise showing up like this, but he was expecting name calling and a good punch to the shoulder - not tears.

Kensi stood there looking at her partner. He was actually standing there on her doorstep. She was fighting to control the tears she felt building. As soon as she heard him say 'Kens' and saw the concerned look on his face, she couldn't hold them back. She reached out to him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close.

"Deeks," she said as she laid her head on his chest.

Deeks held her close, enjoying the embrace, but still worried at her reaction to him. His concern only grew as he felt her start to shake in his arms. Kensi was full on sobbing into his chest.

"Hey, hey, hey. Kens, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" He whispered as he began rubbing her back, trying to calm her. She continued to cry. He could feel his shirt getting wet from her tears.

"Kensi, please. Is everything okay?" He begged as he continued to rub circles on her back.

He held her until she stopped crying. He heard her sniffle and she released her hold on him and tried to step back. Deeks didn't want to let her go, but let loose of her so he could look her in the eyes. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and then dabbed at her eyes. She looked up at him and shook her head.

He tried to move when he saw it coming, but she was too fast. She punched him in the shoulder. Hard.

"Ahhh! Damn it, Fern! That hurt," he cried out. He rubbed where she had landed the punch. It really did hurt. He smiled at her.

"You disappear without a word for a month and then show up like nothing happened? Really, Deeks?" She asked, exasperated that he would even ask what was wrong. "You big idiot!" She punched him again, not as hard this time.

"There's the Kensi I was expecting," he laughed. His eyes sparkled as he stared into hers.

She crossed her arms and looked at him, mock disgust on her face. "You're unbelievable! You know that, right?"

"Maybe. Okay, yeah...I am. But you love me anyway, admit it," he grinned at her. Knowing that she knew he had confessed his love for her to Ellie, he wanted to see what she would say.

Her mouth dropped open. She closed it again, a slight grin appearing. "You're a jerk, Deeks."

He continued to stand there with a big smile on his face. She couldn't look away from those blue eyes. Damn those eyes, she thought. She sighed, then took a breath. She was about to speak, but he beat her to it.

"I love you," he declared.

"Wha...uh...what did you just say?" She was dumbfounded.

"Kensi Marie Blye, I love you. Completely. I'm yours, Kens," he said softly.

She smiled up at him, her heart soaring in her chest at his words. "I love you, too...Marty."

"Good! Now that we have that out of the way, the show has started and our ice cream is melting." He stepped past her and headed for the fridge.

She shut the door, a huge smile on her face.

* * *

Sam and Callen were at their desks. Sam and Kensi had brought Callen up to speed on Deeks' status once he returned. Callen was pissed at first, but eventually Sam had made him see the light. The team hadn't heard about the case being closed in DC yet. The only people who knew Deeks had arrived back in LA the night before were Hetty and Granger - and Kensi, of course.

Callen realized Kensi was running a bit later than usual. "I wonder where Kensi is this morning."

Sam glanced to her desk and shrugged. Before he could make a comment they both heard her talking with someone down the hall. She laughed at something that was said, neither able to make out what it was. They both were shocked to see Kensi appear holding hands with Deeks.

Deeks stood there between Sam and Kensi's desks. Kensi let his hand go slowly and sat down. She smiled at Callen and Sam. Deeks didn't say anything.

Sam jumped up. "Deeks! Damn, are you a sight for sore eyes. How you been, man?" Sam crushed Deeks in a bear hug and clapped him on the back. "Glad to see you back. You are back, right? You're not just visiting?" Sam asked, a concerned look on his face.

Deeks chuckled. "I'm back, Sam."

Sam nodded and stepped away, looking back to his partner.

Callen was standing at his desk. Deeks looked to Kensi. She gave him a reassuring smile. Callen approached Deeks and held out his hand. Deeks just stared at him and, for a moment, Callen was afraid he was going to deny him. Slowly Deeks reached out and shook the man's hand. Callen pulled him into a hug and then stepped back, releasing his grip on Deeks.

"Welcome back, Agent Deeks."

Nobody said a word, unsure of what was going through Deeks' mind at the reception Callen had given him.

Deeks threw his head back and smiled, "Okay, so that just happened!"

Callen looked at Sam and shook his head, a smile a mile wide on his face.

A whistle pierced the air. Everyone looked to Eric who had appeared on the stairs. "Deeks! Good to see you, dude!"

Deeks nodded at him. "Thanks, Eric. Nice to see you, too."

Eric stood there staring down at the team. He looked over his shoulder up to Ops and back to them. "Uh, guys? The whistle? Case on deck, come on!" He motioned for them and ran back up in the direction he had come.

Kensi pushed her chair back and stood up. She headed for the stairs, Deeks right beside her. Sam and Callen followed. Hetty and Granger watched the team disappear up the stairs. She picked up her cup of tea and smiled at the assistant director. He grinned back, something he seemed to be doing more often.

"So, Henrietta, now that Deeks is an agent you know he's going to expect his own car."

She was just lifting her cup to her lips when the comment Granger made registered. She jerked her head in his direction, letting her hand holding the cup drop back to the saucer on her desk, her eyes wide.

"Oh, bugger."

_**THE END**_

_**Author's note: Thanks to all who have read and commented on this story. **_


End file.
